Saturday, December 20, 2008

Can't Run Here...

I was pretty lame growing up so never got kicked out of anywhere for skateboarding or anything cool like that, but I never imagined I'd ever get kicked off a track and threatened with trespassing for doing some flying 40's.
I had to be in Phoenix all last week for a conference and was stoked when my google maps fly-over found a dirt track nearby to workout on.  Unfortunately Capt. Golf Cart discovered my unlawful intervalling half-way through my workout and made sure to escort me off the premises despite my pleas (I only had 10 minutes to go before my last interval).  I was able to get my final run on the local jogging path (much to the confusion of some power-walkers), but it was definitely the first time I've been kicked off a track for running.

On the update front, this will probably be my last post of 2008 but that means 2009 and the track season is just around the corner.  The Jets have their first meets coming up in January and I competed in my first meet last week.  Also, in Pole-A-Thon news things have gotten off the ground surprisingly well.  Huge, HUGE, thanks go out to my good buddy Ian Kenworthy, a hurdle teammate both at Saint Francis High School (he broke the school record I couldn't get) and UC Davis, and Team Awesome (Tyler Smith, Joe Huffsmith, and Dave Preston) for donating my first two poles - dubbed Glory Pole and Peppermint Taco respectively.  Guys, I can't thank you enough.

For now, I get a couple of days in California to rest up and enjoy the family before getting back to Boston and buckling down for the season.  Until then, have great holidays everybody.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Pole-A-Thon...I need your help.

As some of you close to me know, the week before the Olympic Trials was actually extremely stressful.  The week before I had come to find out that the shipping company I use used to use ruined just about every single pole I had shipped to Dallas for my decathlon at the beginning of June.  And I use the general term 'ruined' on purpose...I have no idea what they could have done to them to cause the damage I've been left with.
Seriously,  Short of a laser-pistol fight amongst guerillas I have no way to explain how 8 poles could be not only smashed, but burnt as well.  They weren't even flown, they were ground shipped.  Anyways, I lucked out and was able to borrow poles during the Trials (thank you Ryan Harlan) but with the size of poles that I need (big) being so rare, they only way I'm going to be able to find poles for this year is to buy them and unfortunately at over $500 and $600 a piece for most of them, they're far from cheap.  I lost a few grand of poles (as well as a couple that were lent to me by Northeastern and Harvard University so that fellow competitors in Dallas could borrow poles to jump on) so I'm going to need a lot of support.  
The great guys at M-F Athletic have pledged to give me 20% off each of my poles (which is HUGE!!! Thanks Guys!) so we've got a good start but if you or anyone you know is willing to support your favorite decathlete (me...), then please take a moment to visit my site at mchisam.com.  Every little bit helps so even if you can't help out monetarily, please take a moment to show your support with a comment.  Plus, if you're able to help out by donating a whole pole (Thanks You!!!) then not only will you get to name the pole, but you'll also be kept up to date with how your pole's season is coming along all year.  We started to get some great places last year, help me get even higher (literally) this year.

Thanks all,
Matt

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Superstitions

Whereas I've ever really been the superstitious type it's definitely something you will always find around you in sport and the topic was recently sparked by one of my athletes asking about any superstitions I adhere to. I actually remember in Little League I was jealous that the pro guys were superstitious so I thought that i should be too and thus took a Winchester Mystery House coin and put it in my shoe during a game "for good luck." Most painful game ever.
Being a huge over-thinker, rather than having superstitions I just get incredibly OCD about my preparations. I have to have the right breakfast, I have to do the right thorough warm-up (and spend way too much time doing it), my shoes always have to be tight enough, but never too tight and if one must be re-tied I can never not re-tie the other because it will then feel too loose in comparison to the newly tied shoe. I always have to put on a fresh jersey before my first event so I can never warm-up with it on. When vaulting (a whole 'nother story when it comes to superstitions and OCD behavior) I have to ensure that my entire hands are completely covered in chalk right before I step on the runway. If there is then an interruption in my pre-approach routine or if I have to wait too long to jump, I almost always have to re-chalk my hands.

But I guess there are a few things that might qualify:
1. If possible I always pack a box of honey wheat Wheatables crackers for every decathlon. This goes back to college when a teammate and I always brought these to meets. I don't even eat them half the time, but I always like to have them - it reminds me of the good ol' days with my UC Davis team and our multi-event trips. My coach usually ate more of them then we did (and then tried to get us to go to Carl's Jr every day because his wife (our other coach) wouldn't let him eat it at home).
2. I always down a Boost shake after the final days event in a decathlon - this if for recovery tho, so chalk it up to OCD.
3. If possible, I always shower right before the 1500 meters. This I got from Phil McMullen (friend, training partner, hero to all man) and I have PR'd in the 1500m every time I've been able to find a shower since.
4. In one of my first college decathlons, American Record Holder Dan O'Brien was competing with us and he was the first one to approach me after the 1500m - which is a big deal to a decathlete. I had my hands on my knees and was debating falling over when he came up to me and said: "Stand up. Americans never lay down after the 1500." I can hear him say that the moment I cross the line every time I finish a 15 and thus I don't lay down.