Dec 11

Today was a good day. On the one hand, I felt a good penultimate step in my long jump. I also had a consistent jump in my triple. Last jumps til the new year and they are both good notes to end on. Maybe some dashes in the near future, who knows.

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Dec 4 Results

Long jump went alright. I had some plant issues causing over-rotation in the air. This cause a landing situation where I was landing down on myself. I will look at videos with coach and see when form is being broken in my approach.
Triple went well. I jumped .13 further than my best jump last year. I had 4 jumps over 14m which is a good sign of strength and conditioning to date. I appreciated no cues today and chance to just do it. Video session will prove itself and am grateful for the footage. Good job and good luck to my competitors for the indoor season.

Win on the terms of the humble man, lose on the terms of the humble man because at least you are still in the hunt. Play the game like its suppose to be, played, don't let it play you.

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First meet

The first meet is pretty much tomorrow. I'll be excited once I'm at check in. This time last year I was focused on numbers and status. I've learned to focus on feelings and emotions. Being a jumper is such a privilege. I will enjoy seeing some familiar faces. Jumping against some old teammates will make this meet a very special one.

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Testing and Potential

Today, I tested my 8 total step approach w/ full triple jump. I ended the day maxed out at 41 ft. How crazy it seems I didn't jump that far my senior year of high school. Nonetheless, it was a good measure for the upcoming season. A rough translation with a full approach comes in at 48 ft. This is still a rough measure and can only help with what I can potentially do. I admit my approach needs work and will do so. Still plenty of work weeks left. I'm doing all that I can now to make "the" difference.

Shoes to Fill

By no means did I ever expect to be in this position. I have opportunity and promise in my corner. I want to create big shoes to fill when I leave for good. Hopefully this can create inspiration as well as aspiration. I feel a lot is up to me to change the environment. Once the ball gets rolling hopefully there is no reason for it to stop. I wasn't the most talented, so hopefully another can fill shoes and create ones larger for the next man.

New Direction

I have been putting a lot of thought behind some choices over the past few months. It wasn't until recently that I felt good about making an important decision. And here it is, I will compete again as a collegiate athlete. It may not be as groundbreaking as some news, but it will change my whole outlook towards this blog thing. Going back means less freedom to do what I want, but more structure and opportunities. I had to weigh out many variables for it. The main one was being who I needed to be across the board. I feel every relationship is important and many define exactly who I am. One more season could be the best decision I've ever made and also the worst. I am the master of my own domain and will do everything in my power to make this opportunity transpire into multiple opportunities. I want to become more of a student of the sport and learn as much as I can. Knowledge is power. Knowing is believing. Believing is hard, but hard isn't the same as impossible.

9/1/10

The day went as follows:

Dynamic warm-up

3x4x50 repeats
Turf was limited so I used the end zones as a variation.

Medball throws-Static, pre-hop, double pre-hop

Weight room
3x2 snatch @ about 40-45kg, I planned on six sets but my elbow felt a lil iffy so I stopped.
Squats-6@135, 3x4 @175
Side lunge squats w/DB- 2x6@25(total)
Eccentric Calf Raise-2x10@BW

Light Ab Series

Cool Down & Stretch


Heat was there on the turf. Didn't want to do too much and have it work against me. Weight room felt alright with lower body lifts. I'm no hero and will wait to be back to form. Can't wait to get to the season to see what it amounts to.

Aug 30, 2010

First day of training:
Dynamic warmup
5x50yd accel w/high knee start
2x5 hurdle step over

4 sets Neutral grip pull ups  8,7,7,5
4 sets bench press 8@135, 5@165, 3@175, 3@185
3 sets DB row 8@50, 6@50, 6@50
2 sets Curl-to-press 8@20, 6@20

Foam Roll series/stretch


Nothing too exciting but I'm surprised in how everything felt. Haven't trained in a good 3 weeks and lifts were still good and the running felt good too. Although a very limited day, The most satisfying aspect is the knowledge. I'm a step ahead mentally and hopefully within a month will be there physically. Grateful that I still have the opportunity to train and compete. Still training in a familiar environment also helps. Hopefully I can turn a lot of heads and got some obscene face gestures to go along with them.. Day 1 is down, let us see what lies ahead.

My Quote

Win or lose, at least your in the hunt. Win on the terms of the humble man, lose on the terms of the humble man. Play the game like it's meant to be, played, don't let it play you.

 

-1:11 am and this is what I'm thinking. Can't help it, I mean it's me after all. 

Aug 30th

Aug 30th starts the beginning of new horizons for me. I think that so many people get caught up in the lives of others that they forget to establish the roots necessary for themselves. I'm glad to have the position I do. I remember those days coming home from football practice just to have it be the same temp inside as outside, giving T the bed so he had a good place to sleep, all the times I was up early to put him on that bus. I remember all the times I've lost and all of the things I've lost. I remember falling with about 1:30 to go in the 4th quarter and losing to Medford 14-12. More so, I remember and live all of the things I've gained. I've rebuilt myself to mirror the person I always wanted to be. But now is my time and hopefully working with C will give me the edge I need. I have a lot of unfinished business to take care of and I intend to do so. This journey has been an interesting one. I don't know if I could ever let this go

No matter what, you can't help but dream.

Who

i guess if i was made in the vision of him
then who is it that you've been the mirror to
I'm faced with doors closed and bigger shoes
aimlessly wandering, what can beggars do?
cause I'm begging for a righteous victory
against the disdain and villianry
I'd ask if you were hearing me
but you're way past that
i hope things could be better
so i cork up my top hat
constantly asking where are you getting at
see we still missing the important part
fighting the tears to the heart
i couldn't imagine these swings without a park
i don't care who you are
lets make it known
i mean so much more to me
i mean, I'm so much more than me
underneath the skin and the bones
i grip this soul
it lets me know I'm alive and how to get home
I've been encompassed by its governance
its the looking glass to my discoverance
this is me i promise
if it wasn't
you would have to kill me, honest


A quick poem I whipped up last night. I'm so anxious to get back into training. Supporters welcome. Come join me on this journey. I haven't worked with the same coach for consecutive seasons since sophmore/junior year of high school. I think I have an opportunity and I'm ready for it. It won't be tough to balance everything, unless achieving everything isn't an option. I probably need this more than ever right now. I think it's the right timing and right circumstances. Back in love.

Doing this promotes what?

I'm constantly asking myself questions. One that just popped in my head was, "doing this promotes what?". Many times I ask myself these questions to come to my own conclusion. It may not fit your style or way of thinking, but it helps to get me from point A to point B.

I'm planning my first week of training and I'm  trying to do what's necessary without being over-exhausted or foolish. What is enough, what is too little? A strong foundation will prove itself in the spring but small cracks may bring the whole house tumbling down. The plan is to be on schedule to be a little better than I was last year. Cleaning out my locker today I found the indoor conference schedule from last year. My first jump(foul) I felt was between 47-49 ft. If I can make that my average for this year, maybe, just maybe will I have the opportunity to go for something big. What does this promote? Goals and achievements, an everyday plan to re-plan when necessary. I want to achieve more than what most think I can. I've always had to prove myself year after year and I think it's going to be one of those years. The significance of a work of art is only known to its creator. I believe I can create something good, something to enjoy. I believe the harder I work, the more people will take the time to watch.

The Gift

I remember going for my license and the proctor told me that it wasn't a right, but a privilege to operate a vehicle. Forgetting that what we are capable of is a gift, we lose touch with who we are. Every day I try to keep my gift alive. I know that at some point it will all end, but it will be on my terms. Everyday I am capable of doing something that others can't. This is not an arrogant statement, rather a declaration of appreciation. I've been given the opportunity to achieve some amazing things. I've also had the opportunity to be inspired by some amazing people. At this point I know what I can and cannot achieve. I named the blog "One Foot After the Other" because its about taking time to understand every step. It's simple yet most times we want to run to our destination. Every day is a day to be grateful. I've been taking some time off but I feel that I should cut back on the off time. I need to get back in it if I will compete by Dec/Jan. We will see how all of this pans out this time next year.

Feeling "It"

These are videos I watched during my indoor season. My coach always talked about getting the blood pumping and feeling the jumps. A lot of what we did through the year was based on feeling the jumps. Watching this provoked the epic part of the sport. I aspired to go through something like this every time I competed.The allure of this kept me wanting more than I thought was capable. Every aspect of a track meet meant more than just flights and jumps. It usually started with the ride followed by the warm-up. I kept my "anthems" blasting in hidden headphones. Music provided my soundtrack. I heard steps, jumps, and felt the feeling of winning. At first, it was too much for me to handle, but the uncomfortable situations helped me grow. During competition I had to test my ego. Every large foul was a reason to make it legal, but also it weighed heavy on me. I knew what I was made of and what my abilities were. The hardest part was unless the numbers were on paper, they didn't matter. You wouldn't realize by just looking at the athlete how they got to where they are. There aren't any guides as how to become an athlete. Most of us stumble upon it and never look back. The game-time swagger that the audience watches is the array of experiences, feelings, aspirations much greater than ourselves.

Passion

(noun)passion - any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate. Love represents all good things, hate represents all bad things. Light versus darkness, a battle that has raged before time itself. The balance necessary to take on this feeling is immense. It can break the athlete down to their naked self and see if they are worthy of its presence. Passion are the workouts during the offseason. Passion is every rep of every set and not complaining. Passion is the will to compete because it's fun. Passion is the pain just from doing what we do. The uncomfortable feeling but wanting to see our goals become reality. I enjoy this thing called passion.  A love/hate relationship, the perfect pairing. to conquer. Being able to command emotions at anytime will prove itself useful. The emotions we must handle are a large testament to the focus and ability of the athlete. Without it, the athlete is vulnerable to unforeseen changes and the feelings that come with it.

Quotes of Inspiration

Many of us have heard famous quotes as well as unique in order to inspire us. Inspiration is a helluva drug. As an athlete, what is the significance of being inspired? It can change the way we train and compete. We must ask ourselves what words have inspired us, do you need to be inspired to be at your best, and what do you say to be inspiring to others. A quote that I came up with goes: "Being great is not enough, chasing greatness is what is important". I came up with this simply because I never felt I was good enough, but someday I would be. It wouldn't be easy, but I was willing to go for it.


We all aspire to be what we see as great or even better. Working towards our goals is what separates us from the rest. When failure comes knocking at your door you must let them in and make them a believer.If you can't believe in your failures as much as you success what are you telling yourself? Failure and success are at the opposite sides of the spectrum,  yet few take the time to understand the relationship. This idea of perfection causes doubt when failure is achieved. The only remedy is staying steadfast to our inspiration. Believing that we can be better in our hardest times prepares us mentally as well as emotionally. This faith sometimes can transcend our own physical capabilities

Give me a place to stand, and I shall move the world-Archimedes

Hard Work Pays Off

Working hard has always been a mantra I've used to keep a level head. I think throughout the years I've always been faced with reasons not to. It's ok to face these hurdles, but be prepared if you do fall along the way. Track has been one of those hurdles. Whether it was "looking" fast, not having the right tools to get better, or the lack of support to help me understand myself in congruence with my jumps. At the end of the day, hard work has allowed me to evaluate each hurdle and understand what would get me over them.

Each year I've been better than the previous. I was the kid that barely made States one year to go on to All States the next. At the time I was angry and didn't take the time to full appreciate the situation. Now, that is one of the many memories I feel define me as an athlete. I've done things that have taken my breath away but I hope that others see what I've been able to do. I hope that they too can take their own breaths away.

Inspire to be inspired...