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Once a Dawg, not always a Dawg: Robinson ‘rebels’ against Bulldogs
Christian Robinson used to bleed red and black, but he has traded in the black for navy. “I think what I realized is that I am loyal to people not so much places,” said Robinson a former inside linebacker for the University of Georgia and now a graduate assistant for Ole Miss.
After graduation Robinson was hired to be a graduate assistant for the Dawgs. He worked at Georgia for three years before realizing he wanted to change career paths and wasn’t sure if he wanted to stick with football. After a lot of consideration, he moved to Oxford, Mississippi to work for Ole Miss as a graduate assistant in defense.
Robinson is a skilled photographer and has a very strong social media presence on Instagram and Twitter. When he thought he might switch careers he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. “I didn’t care what I was doing, I just wanted to do almost anything else. I interviewed with managers of bands, a FCA sports program overseas, and a social media platform that I still think would have been a perfect fit for my strengths.”
One day Robinson received four calls from coaches at Ole Miss. They were calling to see if they could get him to come down and tour the football facilities. After a week of deciding which career path he wanted to take, Robinson had made a decision.
“When I came to visit I was blown away at the differences in the people and the emphasis on family. It opened my eyes to how you can balance family and working extremely hard. The farther I got away from Oxford, Mississippi, my heart told me that football was the route for me. I saw myself having a greater impact right now on a college campus.”
Although it was a tough decision, Robinson had only one thing in mind-his family. His father and sister were instrumental in his decision. With their help Robinson said he was able to make a heartfelt and informed decision.
Sarah Robinson, Christian’s younger sister, said that he is happy in Oxford even though it was a difficult transition to make, especially because he was leaving the school and town he loved dearly. “Great people and football is all he wanted and from what he’s shared with me he found it,” said Sarah. She has not been able to visit Robinson in the Grove yet, but came as often as she could when he was in Athens.
“There were many mornings that I had to get up and ride into school way before I had to be there because Christian was training. At the time it wasn’t very much fun cause I’d rather be sleeping, but when he go to play at Georgia - it was all worth it.”
After being in Oxford for six months, Robinson is discovering the differences between the two college towns. “I think the environments are very similar,” he said. “Oxford is a smaller town with just as loyal fans. The cheers are different but the excitement is the same.”
The differences between the two football programs are small. Georgia players walk through the Dawg Walk before a game and Ole Miss players have the Walk of Champions. As a former player, Robinson thinks that no matter where you play in the SEC, all programs are going to be relatively similar because you’re playing at a top football school. As for gameday festivities, both schools have amazing tailgating experiences. Robinson said the atmosphere in the Grove is truly unique because they pack thousands of people in all the tents but Athens will always be home.
Brennon Chapman, the recruiting operations assistant at Ole Miss, agrees with Christian. There are small and few differences between Oxford and Athens.
“Both programs are working to be undefeated this week and it’s exciting to see the promise of the season,” Chapman said.
Robinson said that he would be very excited if Georgia won the SEC Championship this year. But if the two teams were to play each other he would be proud of the Dawgs if they won, but now he’s a Rebel.
“I am committed to Ole Miss. I have fallen in love with the people and the culture of this town. They have adopted me and allowed me to come chase my career goals."
Inside the Kitchen of the National with Peter Dale
As Peter Dale sits at the bar inside The National – his first restaurant- sipping coffee out of a white ceramic mug. His eyes are constantly glancing around the bar, out the window and toward the dining area even though it’s about 11 am on a Wednesday and the restaurant hasn’t even opened yet.
“It was in college that I thought about being a chef but I was actually kind of intimidated by it. I thought it would require a lot of chemistry and I was not good at chemistry. I didn’t think it was a realistic path, so I didn’t pursue it. But I have always loved food and loved cooking.” After graduating from UGA’s Grady College with a degree in public relations in 1999, he moved to D.C.
After two years in Washington, Dale left and came back to Athens. He worked for Grady doing fundraising and recruiting for the honors program before realizing he wasn’t happy. He didn’t want to sit in an office; instead he wanted to do something with his hands.
“I needed to do something really different,” said Dale. “9/11 happened during that time and it just seemed like the whole world was changing. I realized that if [I was] not happy, then [I] needed to make a change and do it now instead of waiting around forever. So I quit my job and traveled to South America.”
Dale apprenticed with Hugh Acheson at 5&10, working mostly at the seafood station. There is where he really grew to love seafood. After Acheson and Dale opened the National, Dale opened Seabear Oyster Bar. Dale is also a part owner of Condor Chocolates in Five Points.
Dale was the head chef at the National but now focuses most of his time doing managerial tasks. Most nights he spends his time as the kitchen’s expeditor. Dale described the expeditor role as an air traffic controller. He makes sure food is cooked and prepared in a timely manner.
“Sometimes I do miss cooking. Cooking on the line can be really grueling in the summer… it’s hot and shifts are long. I’m almost 40 now, so I don’t know if my body could do it anymore.” He said as he began to start laughing. “[But] when I do have those chances to roll up my sleeves and actually cook for a day, it’s really nice.”
Heading toward the kitchen Dale explains what he learned while interning in Spain.
“The Spanish are very emotional and any sort of thing sets them off. An old school way of being a chef was by using a lot of screaming and intimidation. Everyone [there] calls you chef, ‘yes chef, oui chef’. That was not how Hugh ran his kitchen; he was one of the guys. It felt like a team and that we were all in it together. In Europe it’s a very hierarchal system.”
“But that wasn’t the style I ever wanted to be in.”
Slade Adams standing at a small table, mixing flatbread dough in the mixer. Adams has a beard but it can’t hide his contagious smile.
“This is my favorite place I’ve worked so far and I’ve done a lot of things. Everyone feels at home here. It’s a very familial place.”
Adams arrives to the restaurant everyday around 8:30 am to make the flatbread dough. Once he’s finished his dough duties, he’ll make breakfast for all the employees.
Dale and Adams said that they normally eat their team breakfast around 11 am before the restaurant opens.
Dale co-owns Condor with his brother, Nick. Dale said that his brother is the majority owner and the lead chocolate maker, while he is mostly doing behind the scenes work.
“Honestly, it has been a lot of fun,” said Nick. “We complement each other really well.”
Condor Chocolates is a bean to bar shop, meaning they source the beans from Ecuador, they import them, roast, grind, etc.
As Dale begins to discuss his plans for Condor Chocolates, his face instantly starts glowing. “The business that will grow the most will be Condor. They have the ability not only serve guests that are in the shop.”
Dale wants to sell their chocolate bars & chocolate syrup, online and in shops outside of Athens.
Dale said that opening Seabear and Condor Chocolates both in 2014 was not intentional and his New Year’s resolution for 2015 was “no new businesses”.
Although this isn't what he always wanted to do. He was definitely made for this job.
Sidebar
1. What's your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving. Great food and fellowship, and none of the stress of buying gifts.
2. What's your favorite book?
"Moro" by Sam & Sam Clark. This book has been very influential to my cooking.
3. What's your favorite music genre?
Synth pop. I like so many different kinds of music so it's really hard to narrow it down.
4. What are your favorite shoes?
Double monk straps from Sid Mashburn in Atlanta.
Six Easy Steps to Break Past Plateaus while Training for your First Half Marathon
Have you ever wanted to train for a half marathon but couldn’t get past a certain mileage? “If someone can run eight, they can finish a half marathon,” said Dan DeLamater, vice president of Athens Road Runners. “If someone runs 11, they are prepared. I would choose over .” DeLamater ran his first half marathon when he was 35 years old and has been the vice president of Athens Road Runners since 2014.
DeLamater thinks that the hardest part about training for a half marathon is the mental barrier a runner needs to overcome. He calls it the 10-mile wall, the point where and when a lot of runners mentally plateau. With these easy steps, runners can push through their plateaus while training for their first half marathon.
1. Purchase Good Shoes
According to Mary Katherine Hall, a senior at the University of Georgia from Columbia, South Carolina, has completed three half marathons and she says that every runner needs to have a good pair of shoes that are supportive and have been broken in by walking or light running before training starts. Hall’s favorite shoes are Asic’s Gel Keyano 21.
2. Build a base
DeLamater believes runners should try to be able to run or walk up to three or four miles as a base before training begins and to do so without much difficulty.
3. Train with a friend or running group
Friends and running groups will help you stay on track and hold you accountable during the training process. Hall believes that friends will help you push through plateaus and make the training process more enjoyable.
4. Increase mileage slowly
DeLamater believes that working slow and consistently will help you train, rather than rushing through it. He said that you should try to use a 10-week cycle to build long runs up to 11 miles. Incorporate one long run a week and a break day. DeLamater said, “Never increase mileage by more than 20 percent a week- that risks injury. Increase your long run by one or two miles each week, rest a few weeks in the cycle and reach your goal healthy and strong.”
5. Add a speed workout to weekly plan
By adding a speed workout to your weekly routine, you will be able to avoid plateauing. According to DeLamater, “If you run four times each week, two of those should be modest effort and modest distance. One of those could be a speed workout – at the track or faster pace on the road and another one of those should be a long slow distance run. The variation of workouts, speeds, and distances is key to avoid plateau limitations.” Speed workouts should consist of running five to six miles in under an hour.
6. Don’t let bad days get you down
Kendra Fryman, a teacher at Pure Barre in Lexington, Kentucky, decided to train for her first marathon after having two kids. Fryman had never run more than four or five miles before she began her training. Fryman experienced plateaus while training and some days had trouble running even three miles. “Just be patient with yourself and don’t expect for every run to be your best. As long as you are diligent in your training and try to get a little further on at least one single run every week that's a huge accomplishment.”