Sometimes it’s just about having fun and trying new things

Do you want to battle?

No productivity lesson I learned here, this is just about something fun that happened this week.

About two months ago I was driving around and listening to sports talk radio and they were talking about the Battle Of The Bone competition that was going on. Battle Of The Bone is the largest buffalo wing eating competition in the southwest.

One reason I strive to be productive is so I can spend more time with my kids and also to just try new things in life. Life is way too short. Why not try new things just to say you did them?

I decided I was going to go for it. I love buffalo wings. Often I go to lunch with Justin McHood for wings and when they are on special I will polish off a plate of 18.

So I signed up, easy as that. There are ten weeks of competition and the winner of each of the ten weeks goes on to the state finals. The winner of the state finals wins a $30,000 Toyota Tundra truck and second place wins season tickets to the D-backs next year.

Not that I thought I would even win my week, but you can see how serious this is by those prizes.

As time got closer I started taking it more seriously. Sure, I entered for fun and the experience, but I have this small competitive streak in me about the size of the Pacific Ocean.

I hate to lose.

I started watching the results from the first few weeks. The winners were pulling in numbers like 75 wings, 82 wings, 76 wings, by the way this is all done in 11 minutes.

Wow, that is a lot of wings I started thinking. In the week leading up to my event I did 55 wings one night and 45 another. Both of them were done in times that would lead to a pace of about 75 wings or so in 11 minutes, but there is a big difference between stuffing your face for five minutes, and stuffing it for 11.

I also hit Youtube to find out proper chicken wing eating technique. Yes there are quicker ways to strip a wing and I would practice when I ate my wings. The only question I really had going into the event was could I do the volume needed for that length of time.

I did a little research to find out how professional eaters get ready for the event. I learned I needed to stretch my stomach out in size. At the same time, I have been trying to eat better, so I did not want to load myself up with a bunch of garbage high in carbs.

The day before I had a whole head of iceberg lettuce, with a can of tuna and  tomatoes for lunch. I could feel my stomach stretching. During the day I kept pounding bottles of water too, and redefined the term stuffed.

For dinner I had another 25 wings, close to two pounds of pork chops and more salad.

This was not feeling good. I knew I had to get this stuff out of me. My stomach was feeling stretched, not sure if it was enough, but it was stretched.

On the morning of the event I ate my normal breakfast, 3 egg omelet with coffee and water. Then for lunch a Chipolte Burrito Bowl, all beans no rice. This last move looking back was a mistake. I knew I didn’t want to go into the 7pm event too hungry, but i was already stuffed when I sat down to eat lunch.

At 6pm I arrived to register and I felt like crap. My strategy would have worked, except for the fact that ALL the food I had consumed for the last two days was still in my stomach, just sitting there. I was not feeling great.

Each of us had to announce ourselves and how many times we had entered the competition in the past. It was just me and one other who had never entered. Everyone else was a veteran. That, and how I felt, really got to my confidence.

Then 7pm came and it was go time. For the next 11 minutes I stuffed my face with wings. The weighed your tray before you start then would weigh it after you finished. Whoever ate the most pounds of meat would win. Assuming you kept it all down.

As soon as they blew the whistle, I took off like a bat out of hell. I was able to push back the full feeling and just go. I tried to look around at what the other competitors were doing, but it was almost impossible to do so and just looked down and kept plowing ahead.

I was doing good until about 7 minutes into it. When they announced we were at 7 minutes I really had thought it was closer to 10 and I started doubting how much more I could eat. Then I could hear my kids screaming for me over to the side. “Stay confident” my eldest 12 year old daughter said with her supportive tone. Then the “Hurry up Dad, you are behind” my 10 year old screamed.

I was being told I was behind and I didn’t want to let them down so I kept plowing ahead. And did I mention I hate losing?

Winner-Winner Chicken Dinner

So what happened? Turns out I may be a natural competitive eater. In my first event ever (and maybe last) I ate 81 wings, just over 2.5 lbs and beat the nearest competitor by almost half a pound.

So remember, life is not all about being productive and work. You need to make time for new things.

Whats next? 24-hours straight at Wal-Mart? Nah, already did that one. But I will come up with something.

And as for the finals, I am not sure I can make it. I am away on a father-son campout that weekend so we will have to see how the schedule plays out. But that new pickup truck would be great for pulling around the father-son dirt bikes.

So what fun

Until next time, be productive.