Coach's Killer

Bend or Break?

May 11, 2015May 11, 20151 Comment

I am now two weeks into this training camp, with two weeks left to go! I definitely miss my crew back home in Nashville, but am keeping busy enough that I’m not really stopping too much to think about it.

I expected it to be tough. Last Tuesday I had a very rough morning training session and got fairly emotional about it. I think I was able to hide it for the most part, then spent the rest of the day listening to my training motivation soundtracks. That evening I had probably my most “on” session up to that point.

My coach, Shawn Hammonds, thankfully has done an excellent job preparing me mentally for tough training. I have learned to accept it, and allow it to reshape me. Someone who is not prepared to handle the physical and mental pressure of this concentrated environment would likely break.

The way I see it, I have two options: give up, or keep moving. Since giving up isn’t really an option for me, I can only suck it up and train.

I’m really excited about competing at Worlds this year. I get to step on that mat knowing that I have done everything possible to prepare myself – and that, my friend, is going to be an extremely liberating experience!

I have talked with my amazing crew at Raijin Fight Wear and they are looking into sending me an assortment of stickers that I can give out at Worlds! So if that pans out, consider it a game of “Where’s Nicholle?” Find me and get a free sticker of your choice (and there are some cool ones!)

My weight drop is coming along nicely. Compared to Pans, I am 2 pounds ahead of schedule and hope to keep that momentum going!

I am definitely running hungry at all times, but I am able to train full speed for multiple 8 minute rounds in a row with no problems with stamina so I consider myself good to go!

14 days until I leave for Jiu Jitsu World Championships!

Current weight: 130.8 (goal 126.5)

Seizing the Opportunity

May 5, 20151 Comment

Ten days ago, I was offered an amazing opportunity. I was invited to a four week World Championship training camp where I would have a bunch of highly skilled women of all sizes and ranks to train with. I had to make a very quick decision since I would be needing to leave within the next couple days.

So I immediately texted my coach and while waiting on his response, I started crunching numbers to see if there was any way I could make it work realistically. Not only did I have to worry about transportation, I also had to factor in the lack of income during that time. The timing ended up being perfect since I was in the process of moving (no rent to pay), had just run a special in my business that gave me a financial pad, and I had just gotten enough air miles in for a free plane ticket! Oh, and by then my coach had messaged me back with a “hell yea!” In response. Food budget would be a bit low, but I gotta drop a few more pounds, so there would be no eating out anyhow.

So two days later, I am on my way!

I’m not going to go into all the training methods we are using right now, but let’s just say, I am so thrilled I was able to make it work because this is AWESOME!

Summary: training varies from day to day depending on goals, but the average is probably 4-5 hours of sweat dripping, grind it out mat time. I’m so thankful to my coach, Shawn Hammonds, for keeping intensity levels high at my home school – otherwise I would be reduced to a twitching blob of gelatinous humanity halfway through each training session.

I just received word back as well that I will be working as a scorekeeper for the IBJJF during the World Championships. I love working at the tournaments because it keeps me from getting antsy in the days leading up to my matches. Also the pay isn’t bad, they feed me (after I weigh in), and I get the staff shirt which allows me to carry my açai outside of the designated eating area. All around win!

I will be in California until June 2nd so I am planning on going to Disneyland on the 1st. So expect a ton of pictures on my Instagram page of Mickey Mouse waffles and myself with every costumed character I can find!

It is now nap time. We have been promised/threatened with a hellish session tonight so I need to save some energy!

A Word on Being Thankful

April 1, 2015April 1, 20151 Comment

I am hoping this does not end up turning into a rant, although now that I think about it, this subject does deserve a bit of fire behind it.

Lately I have been witnessing a lot of things and people being taken for granted. This has made me have to check myself to make sure I haven’t caught the bug as well!

In my experience, I can see that instructors teach because they love to. At my school alone I see instructors take time to teach extra (unpaid) classes for students who have a drive and desire to excel. I know at any time I can pull aside an instructor with a question and when the conversation is over have an answer to work with.

If you have an instructor or coach who takes the time to share their years of knowledge and experience with you, thank them for it and then put what they shared with you to work! If you try and fail, ask more questions and they will happily help. Want more attention in class? Knowing someone is trying to learn a technique you showed them magnetically draws an instructor back to a student without fail.

Moving On:

“Do the best you can with what you have” – Nicholle Stoller”

The grass always seems to look greener elsewhere. I personally envy my California friends for having such a good close network for competitions and training. I wish I was able to make it out for all these special Ladies BJJ training camps that I’m always being invited to. I envy the ladies who get to train alongside their boyfriend or husbands.

The fact is, I haven’t spoken with anyone who has everything set perfectly to their own liking. The people I envy in California have their own set of issues that get in the way of what they view as their perfect training scenario – some of them even have said they wish they had my setup.

That’s when I decided that all we are required to do is our best. If for no other reason but the fact someone else considers your situation to be ideal, be thankful!

If you are the smallest person at your gym and have no one your size to spar with…

If you are the largest person at your gym and always have your technique written off as just being “bigger than everyone”…

If you are at a small gym with limited variety in schedule and training partners…

If you haven’t won a match in months…

If you have a handicap that puts you on the bench more often than you think is reasonable…

If you have other responsibilities and aren’t able to make it to more than one or two classes a week…

If you don’t have the finances to travel and compete as frequently as you want…

Just do your best! No one can look down on you if you maintain a thankful attitude and keep moving forward. If you have any more scenarios, please share them in the comments section below!

Side note: I accomplished my 1,000 burpees in a week challenge and have a 46 minute complication video to prove it. I need to find a way to speed it up to about 10 minutes then I can share. My next challenge for this current week is to relearn a flying sidekick.

1,000 Burpees In A Week?

March 22, 2015March 22, 2015Leave a comment

I had the brilliant idea that I would start doing a weekly training challenge in conjunction with the launch of my new webpage (more on that next week!)

This week I am tackling 1,000 burpees. I’ve broken it down to 150 a day for the first 5 days, and then 125 for the last two days. This is made more achievable by further breaking them down into sets of 25.

Today is the first day and I decided I would also film them all just so I would have proof to share! I threw in some extra at the end just because I felt like it. Total for the day, 160. I counted 165 but I am calling it 160 to account for the possibility of miscount.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTrlVLbvpWs

I do have to modify and not do a push up at the bottom because of a nagging shoulder injury, which does make it a bit less impressive I’m afraid. I do promise that my quads and abs are already feeling it though! Tomorrow should be entertaining!

Other Big News!

My gym is in the process of moving! We are consolidating with our other location in East Nashville and have to be moved completely by the 1st.

It is going to be a different layout, but we won’t actually be losing any mat space. The kids will be getting their own separate room as well! It will be different, but I think it will end up being a good thing!

This does complicate matters a bit for me as this means my massage office space will be moving, and the office build out is not completed yet. Also since I do not have a car this meant a hour long bus commute (the bus system in Nashville isn’t the most efficient), or I have to move. I’ve opted to move and just rent a room near the new gym location.

So on the to do list for this week:

Move Gym
Move Massage Office
Move Home
Do 1,000 Burpees

I think I can consider myself busy!

I Think I Have A Problem…

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015Leave a comment

Hi.
My name is Nicholle.
I am addicted to Jiu Jitsu competition.

Now while you’re planning my intervention, let me tell you my tale…

My First Time

I didn’t want to try it. Honest! But all my team mates were doing it, and I just wanted to fit in and be accepted as part of the group. I just figured, what harm could one try do? So I put my money on the table, signed the “I will not sue you if I die” paper, stepped on the scale for the first time, then found a corner to shake and wait in.

Not gonna lie, the first time was terrifying.

With barely a smudge of sweat build up on my brand new, snow white belt, I got pitted against a blue belt twice my size. Somewhere in the middle of trying to support her in the air using just my foot in her hip, I thought to myself “This is crazy! What am I doing?” I remember my team mates yelling “Sweep! Sweep!” and myself thinking “What’s a sweep?”

When it was all over with, I was exhausted and thinking to myself how crazy the whole experience was.

Funny thing though. After it was done; I ended up winning a match, earning my first medal, going out to eat with my team mates for a victory dinner, and finding myself wanting to do it again. I wanted to learn what this magical “sweep” that I could have won the match with was – I wanted to do better!

Today

I look back on my first competition experience and am so glad I gave it a try! The friends I have made in the past three years competing have made the journey worthwhile just by themselves!

Other than all the awesome people I have met, I’ve gotten to visit some amazing places in my quest for expanding my competition horizons! I’ve competed from Los Angeles to New York, and even went to Portugal twice! I hope to make it out to Japan next year!

I’ve never thought of myself as a competitive person. I still don’t really. I just want to know how far I can go when I push myself. The beauty of it is that there will always be the “next!” factor at play. Win or lose, before I even leave the event space, I’m already thinking about my next goal.

The community I have become a part of fuels me. Any place in the world I go, I can find a mat to step on, and all language and cultural boundaries fall away and I am immediately among family.

My team is an awesome support group. We are a big crazy family and even coming from all different walks of life, we have a common cause of improving and learning every class. Police officers, convicts, lawyers, personal trainers, stay at home moms, chefs, doctors… We are all under one roof and coexisting! Bad days and breakdowns are forgiven and forgotten. It’s very freeing!

In Conclusion

I would like to request that you cancel plans for my intervention. I think some things are worth being addicted to.

Success!

March 20, 2015March 20, 20155 Comments

If you read my last update, you will know that I had determined I was going to be competing in the feather weight division for the first time ever. I’ve attempted the cut several times before, but always quit halfway through. I was determined, and when I hit that wall again this time, I told myself “No quitting. Make it happen.”

I was about a pound over when I arrived at the hotel on Tuesday. I wasn’t horribly worried about it because I didn’t compete until Friday. Dad flew in from New Hampshire to cheer me on, and surprised me with a visit to Disneyland on Wednesday! It is hard to be on a weight cut at Disneyland, but it is also hard to really be sad about it because, hey, it’s DISNEYLAND! I bought some sweets to enjoy later!

I got to meet Captain America and he gave me some very good pre-competition advice. He told me to not be distracted by other people, focus on the task at hand, and also to remember why I started this in the first place – which is because it’s fun and I love it. Oss Captain!

I stopped in at the venue on Thursday to check my weight on their scale and found myself still a pound over. So for the rest of the day I simply nibbled granola and sipped small amounts of mineral water. By morning, I was a half pound under by my scale – not even wearing my lightest gi, and as you can see by the photo, I was VERY happy about it. This is probably the lightest I have been since before puberty!

Making this weight was one of the toughest things I have ever done. I really don’t know how to express in words how it felt! My official weigh in was 128.2 lbs; 13 lbs less than what I have previously weighed in as, and about 18 lbs lower than my average walk around weight.

After I weighed in, my coach admitted to me that he didn’t think I would mentally be able to do the cut. Hearing that made me smile!

Mike Calimbas is a master of capturing the moment! So many emotions on my face all at once here!

What About The Competition?

Right I suppose I should talk about the actual grappling portion of the competition! I had the luck of drawing my friend Taylor Biagi for my first match. We had both pegged one another as the person to beat in the division and it sucked that we had to meet up in an eliminatory match.

I lost the match, but it was awesome! I have no problem whatsoever admitting when I loose to a superior opponent, and Taylor is a most worthy adversary indeed!

So Now What?

Since I felt so good making the weight, I have decided to focus on keeping my walking weight down between 130 and 132. Worlds is just 9 weeks away and I feel like I am reborn and rejuvenated! I’m gonna shoot for a little lower of a weight so that I can finally wear my awesome Raijin Fight Wear Gi in a competition!

And now, here are some fun photos from the trip!

With the awesome Taylor Biagi after competing!

Nick Albin aka “Chewey” – cant wait for him to visit my school again so we can roll!

Ketra, Nikki, Myself, and Tara. I always miss out on the group photos, so I insisted on this one!

Ran into Erin! She said it was a nice to make Gianni take a photo of her with someone for a change!

Ran into fellow Tennessean, Eric, also the creator of “JitsGrips”

I had a bit of a cheese and carb overload after competing… I’m still processing this meal I think!

I Can, and I Will

February 25, 20153 Comments

I’ve made several attempts at dropping to feather weight (129 lbs in the Gi), and each time I have hit a wall at 133 lbs, gotten fed up, and given up. I have given myself many excuses for quitting, all of which are logical.

So yet again, I find myself making the attempt to cut. My goal is to make it to at least 126 to give myself a little wiggle room.

I hit my wall again at 133. This time, however, I have some accountability (hi Taylor!) and after pondering quitting, I decided that I WILL make weight. If for no other reason but to shut up my excuses.

As of this writing, I have made it to 130 and I see light at the end of the tunnel! What is doing the trick for me is an hour of fasted cardio first thing in the morning. I do this by setting a fast walk on a max incline treadmill. It was pretty hard to focus until I found the correct soundtrack that would enable me to just zone out/in and it becomes fairly meditative as I spend an hour just focusing on goals and visualizing outcomes.

It’s odd to wake up and see abs for the first time in my life!

I have started to stall a little bit again with the drop in the past few days, so I am going to change it up again. My shoulder has started feeling a bit loose, I’m adding in my rehab Kettlebell circuit in the afternoons. It has the combined benefit of stabilizing my hypermobile joints, and also acts as a mid-intensity circuit. Here is a quick video I filmed explaining this routine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlLlssuTqW4

Weight Cut and Video Update

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015Leave a comment

I have been pretty busy (and fairly cranky with this weight cut) lately and haven’t taken the time to write. So I offer the gift of video logs of my training this past weekend!

With this cut I am having to do 30 minutes of cardio, twice a day. I elected to do the treadmill set on a max incline. It makes me angry and I only make it through by useage of my most excellent collection of motivational soundtracks.

Pan Ams are just about three weeks away! Aaaaahhhh!

Saturday Evening (14 Feb) with Katherine

Sunday Morning (15 Feb) with Ruth

Lisbon – Castles, Food, and Training

January 27, 2015January 27, 20152 Comments

Yesterday I spent my day up at the Castelo de S. Jorge. It was breathtaking, and not just because of the long climb up the hill and through the Alfama neighborhood (I took the roundabout route).

In the midst of my wanderings, I came across a gorgeous cathedral and just had to pop in. I sat down for a few minutes then lit a candle before continuing on with my uphill hike.

When I eventually made my way up to the top of the hill and entered the castle grounds, the view just made me have to stop and stare for quite a while.

I was planning to take the tour but I completely misread the sign. It said the English tour was at 13 which I somehow translated in my brain to 1:30 so I showed up 30 minutes too late. Yea I know, I’m a dunce.

I stopped for a snack at the café before crossing the bridge into the castle itself. This was great fun as I got to climb up and down these steep staircases, many without railings, which made the adrenaline junkie in me very content.

Food
One of my favorite things to do is eat! So you can bet I have been making the rounds! Here are a few highlights!
Pork at O Pote! I had been thinking about this particular meal since my previous trip to Lisbon two years ago! I was a very happy foodie!

The potatoes were a bit different than I remembered, but it was still amazing! Good simple comfort food!

Seafood Rice at Casa de India! I was able to identify shrimp, mussels, crab, octopus, barnacles, and even a couple of whole prawns! I realized after I ate this that maybe I should have tested myself for a shellfish allergy before this trip but I ended up being just fine!

Just so you know, if you are in a more traditional Portuguese dining facility, you will need to flag down your waiter for the bill. Just something to be aware of if you are used to being hovered over! The service is excellent, you are just left to enjoy your meal in peace until you have a request to make. I rather like it that way!

I stopped at a yummy looking gelato shop named Amorino and discovered that they will sculpt your gelato into the shape of a flower! You just choose your size and you can choose as many favors as you want. I saw that they had my favorite Dutch spice cookie as a flavor so I took a base of that, plus caramel, and finished it off with chocolate.

I may have to go back tomorrow…

Of course I went back to Manteigaria for more Pastéis de nata! I found that they will actually sell packages of them to go, so I may purchase some tomorrow evening and see if they last the trip home!

I also imbibed in numerous sandwiches and other bits of randomness, but I promised just the highlights!

Training

Today I took a bus ride out toward Belém in order to train at the Royce Gracie Academy. The instructor there is Hélio Perdigão and I highly recommend this school to any Jiu Jitsu practitioner visiting Lisbon! I got some fun rolls in and there are good variety of sizes and experience levels levels present.

In Conclusion
There are so many things to talk about in regards to this trip. The street performers, the architecture, the culture, the fashion, etc. While I am here and not wanting to stay holed up writing and editing, I am just giving general highlights. Once I get home I will start going into more details.

Tomorrow is my last full day here in Lisbon. I have a plan. It shall hopefully prove to be most excellent!

Lisbon – Sweets and Sunsets

January 25, 2015January 25, 20152 Comments

I meant to do an update on my adventure yesterday at the zoo, but I became distracted by sleep and crashed out before I could put two words together! So here is a two in one update!

The Zoo

It was a bit different than the Zoo where I grew up! One thing I noticed was how much more fun it is when people don’t assume that you are going to do something stupid like hop the guardrail and go try to climb on the buffalo.

I spent probably 3 hours at the zoo, finishing up by watching the dolphin and sea lion show. One thing you must do is ride on the lift that will give you the grand tour of the place from the air. You get to go directly over the animal pens (including the Lions!) and the view you get of the city is just awesome.

I had the meerkat group in a minor uproar as I discovered I can imitate their peeping communication noise well enough that they started trying to find me. Too cute!

I was tickled pink to find that they have a pair of White Tigers! I wasn’t able to get a good picture of them however as they were snoozing bellies to the sun behind a chain link fence. Chain link is not friendly to photographs!

One thing I will say is that I think half the zoo was shut down for the winter. I wish I could see it when it’s fully up and running!

Pastéis de Nata
Please note: if you are ever wandering aimlessly through Lisbon and you see a small shop with a line out down the sidewalk. Join it. Even if you can’t see what people are waiting for, it will most definitely be worth it!

This line happened to be for Manteigaria, a shop that apparently does nothing but create pastéis de nata. I ordered two and an espresso and slid over to the standing counter to enjoy.

I took a cue from one of the little Portuguese grannies and decided to try one with cinnamon on it. I think my life changed a little when I bit into it. I kinda gasped and inhaled a bit of the cinnamon and was coughing randomly for the next hour.

The sweet gooey/crispy awesomeness was perfect paired with the European style espresso. I may accidentally wander in that direction again tomorrow.

The Walk
My favorite thing to do when I’m visiting a city is to just pick a direction and just head that way exploring whatever catches my eye (or more often nose!) along the way. This time I made my way through the Chiado area stopping to take pictures with my big old pink cased iPad (anyone want to get me a big girl camera?) and just enjoying myself. Here is a collection of a few of my favorite photos from that walk!