May 1989: Steiners are constantly working out

5/1/89
I talked to Gable about getting some Hawkeye Club funding for next season. So far he hasn't said anything. I'm taking Jenny to Colorado for a week in June, then I plan to work summer wrestling camps full-time June 18-24, then go to the World Team training camp for a week in August. Then I'll be completely broke and jobless. I don't see how I can continue to work at the restaurant and start making a push to be a national champ.

Case in point: I would love to go to the Ohio State Open this weekend, but I have to work. I'd also love to stay the full two weeks at the World Team camp in August.

5/5/89
There was a wrestling coaches meeting today. Gable said I'm a Hawkeye Club grad assistant coach for next year. Not sure what that means exactly, but that's good. I don't yet know about funding.

He told me I've got to get past the point where I'm just "flipping the coin" with some of these guys, like Duaine Martin from UNI or Dan Flood from Wisconsin, or other top-15 guys that I've split matches with or gone close with but need to beat consistently in order to be solidly in the top 8 at nationals.

5/15/89
Jenny and I have been going out for six months, and we aren't getting tired of each other yet. We're starting to talk about long-term plans. If I ask myself if I'll marry Jenny someday, my answer is, I don't know. That doesn't mean yes and it doesn't mean no and it doesn't mean "probably but I'm not really sure yet." It means I don't know.

The worst I can foresee is that I lose Jenny and am miserable for the rest of my life. In which case '89 was a peak year, so I'd better f---ing enjoy it while it lasts and stop worrying about the future.

Spring session is over--I got a B+ in my class. The professor was an idiot, not me. Summer session doesn't start until mid-June.

Most of the collegiate wrestlers have gone home, so the wrestling room is fairly quiet except for the club guys, the Steiners, and the Brands. Every time I go over there the Steiners are there doing something, whether it's live wrestling or drilling or watching videos.

5/31/89
I took it easy today in wrestling practice, just drilled with Terry Steiner for awhile and broke a good sweat. The few weeks after freestyle nationals are my only "down" time. My body gets healed up a bit, my mind gets healed up a bit, and I have a chance to think about and absorb a lot of the things I've been doing rather than just continuing to do the daily grind without thinking about what I'm learning or how to do some things better or what specific things I need to improve.