In one week it will be November. Things are starting to pick up real quick. You know that climb up the first big roller coaster hill? The chains slowly clicking, the plastic seat under your butt still a bit cold to the touch, the excitement starting to mix with anxiety - am I ready? is the bar clicked tight enough to my lap? Is it too tight? Do I put my hands up, do I scream? Where's the camera going to be? I wonder when they built this thing? This is going to be awesome.
In November I start with the Jets which is going to be great. I even ran into one of my guy's parents at Microcenter this weekend. His son, Jordan, and the family saw me on TV at the Trials - even picked me out of the background on some of the clips on top of the 1500m coverage. Now Jordan wants to try some multis this year, maybe even a decathlon this summer.
In November I will be one month away from the Harvard team's first meet. I'm psyched as this is going to be a great year. We've brought a lot of change to that program that will really come to show this year. I've got some great new kids and I'm stoked to see what my vets are going to accomplish, but once we start, there's really no let up 'til May.
In November I will be two months out from my first meet. Two months. eight weeks, 60 real-world days, 48 training days, 2 training cycles, then its here.
Probably means I should get to bed. Got lift in 10 hours. This is going to be awesome.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Sport
Sitting on the sidelines of one of the athletic department's twice weekly "Noon Hoops" games this week it dawned on me just how much sport gives to all of us. I use these and the subsequent Noon Soccer games as early season cross-training (got to switch it up sometimes, right?), but taking some time out a looking around the other day really made me appreciate it all. In one game we had 2 soccer coaches, a swim coach who used to be a boxer, 3 track coaches, a basketball coach who is still on some of Dukes all-time records as a player, Directors of Opererations, Alumni relations people, guys in charge of facilities, operations guys in charge of making those facilities work, interns, business school professors, 25 year olds, 50 year olds, guys, gals, people that can shoot, people that can run, and everything in between. 2 buildings over staff members and business school students were converging for pretty much the same situtation but on ice and with sticks. In the soccer games we get hockey coaches who've never played a game of soccer in their life next to secretaries, 300 ilb ex-linemen next to 130 ilb ex-cross-country runners, next to athletic directors. Everyone enjoying a little sweat and some competition along with great company.
For me and our young staff in the track offices it's how we've gotten to know the other coaches and administrators in the department - what i've dubbed "Noon Hoops diplomacy." For others it's a workout and a way to get in shape, some just need to get out of the office, but for all it's a chance to interact with the people around them.
On the other end of the spectrum, just a few hours earlier I was staring face down at a puddle of my own sweat attempting to finish up another one of my strength coach's "Beastday" workouts. Next to me were two brave friends I talked into joining me for the workout. After finally completing the workout and collapsing to the ground I couldn't help but think that although most people had yet to show up to the office for the day, there were 1,000's of athletes just like me in gyms, on tracks, on mountains, on bikes, on courts, in pools or on roads all over the country doing just the same as I. Maybe re-defining booty-lock, or mentally mapping the quickest route to the nearest trash can in case breafast decides to make another appearance, mopping up pools of their own sweat, or even yearning for a tub of ice to dunk themselves in. Some in a brightly lit training center surrounded by coaches, teammates, and the hum of video and computer analytical equipment. Others in dimly lit gyms surrounded by echos and rust. Here athletes are learning about themselves the way many will never know.
Then you have the kids; eagerly awaiting the end of the day for soccer practice, football practice, or lacrosse. I remembered never wanting to get sick because if I missed school, mom and dad wouldn't let me go to practice. Then a few years later it was sports that helped me fit in so that I wasn't just the nerd in honors classes whose mom was a teacher.
Sports are where so many find ourselves, where we find others, where we consequences and rewards, how to win, how to lose, where we learn to push and desire, where we learn to work.
In the wake of districts across the country cutting down on Physical Education and After-School sports, watching those Noon Hoops games and having the opportunity to hang out with the young guys with the Cambridge Jets always reminds me of how incredibly important sport can actually be.
For me and our young staff in the track offices it's how we've gotten to know the other coaches and administrators in the department - what i've dubbed "Noon Hoops diplomacy." For others it's a workout and a way to get in shape, some just need to get out of the office, but for all it's a chance to interact with the people around them.
On the other end of the spectrum, just a few hours earlier I was staring face down at a puddle of my own sweat attempting to finish up another one of my strength coach's "Beastday" workouts. Next to me were two brave friends I talked into joining me for the workout. After finally completing the workout and collapsing to the ground I couldn't help but think that although most people had yet to show up to the office for the day, there were 1,000's of athletes just like me in gyms, on tracks, on mountains, on bikes, on courts, in pools or on roads all over the country doing just the same as I. Maybe re-defining booty-lock, or mentally mapping the quickest route to the nearest trash can in case breafast decides to make another appearance, mopping up pools of their own sweat, or even yearning for a tub of ice to dunk themselves in. Some in a brightly lit training center surrounded by coaches, teammates, and the hum of video and computer analytical equipment. Others in dimly lit gyms surrounded by echos and rust. Here athletes are learning about themselves the way many will never know.
Then you have the kids; eagerly awaiting the end of the day for soccer practice, football practice, or lacrosse. I remembered never wanting to get sick because if I missed school, mom and dad wouldn't let me go to practice. Then a few years later it was sports that helped me fit in so that I wasn't just the nerd in honors classes whose mom was a teacher.
Sports are where so many find ourselves, where we find others, where we consequences and rewards, how to win, how to lose, where we learn to push and desire, where we learn to work.
In the wake of districts across the country cutting down on Physical Education and After-School sports, watching those Noon Hoops games and having the opportunity to hang out with the young guys with the Cambridge Jets always reminds me of how incredibly important sport can actually be.
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