Face to face questions, as well as emails, ask the same thing, “Are you preparing for any upcoming meets”?
Yes, and no.
YES, there are two big meets in 2010. The WMA Masters Track & Field Indoor World Championshipsin early March, in Kamloops, British Columbia. And there’s the USA Masters Track & Field National Championships, in July, in Sacramento, California.
NO, the left heel pain precludes me from anything remotely intense enough to be considered world class training.
This may be a good thing. If you don’t know, it was never the intent to become a world class Master’s athlete. But after several years of running and making common sense, common practice, I wanted to see if it could actually be done.
Tomorrow I’ll describe the level of fitness that I didn’t even know I had achieved. And what it feels like to see it slip away and the thought process on how, and if, I should deal with that.
Lane 8 at 2009 World Championships in Lahti, Finland.
That’s “Jack”, my son’s Teddy Bear. He has three exactly alike. He got them as gifts years ago. The collar is actually inscribed “Jack”.
Our son was born in August 2000. My Dad, Jack Noel, passed on, April 2001.
My Father, and our son, never met. We were two months away from our trip to Pennsylvania when the phone call came, “They’re giving your dad three days”.
So, “Jack” the bear, has traveled extensively. He’s the one with two torn ears. The other “Jacks” are in near perfect condition. Our son was gracious enough to let the “tug-o-war with our yellow Lab” Jack travel.
Find a million ways, gimmicks, tricks – whatever it takes – to stay motivated. Jack is simply one of them.
On the drive to Victory Martial Arts “Safety Demonstration” (recruiting) yesterday, I reminded our son there was no expectation that he enroll and take lessons.
All the children participated, even the first timers. Our son eagerly lined up. Surprisingly, two of his friends are members there and graciously welcomed him into the atmosphere.
Off to a great start and then somewhere in the middle it got more intense and he felt uncomfortable with his skill level, and returned to the audience with me.
I could not have been more proud. He tried something. He did his best. I didn’t push him, even though I could have. He’s nine. How hard do you push yourself? He’ll get were he needs to go. Will you?
Maybe today is the day our son finds a physical activity that interests him. He is great on exercising his Mind. Great with his Spirit. Decent on Money.
Body? Well, he has a keen understanding of nutrition for a nine-year old. Much better than most adults.
Yesterday, after we pulled away from Twistee Treat, he asked me to call a number. He said the first ten callers get a free t-shirt.
He passed the flyer up to me in the driver’s seat. At the stoplight I quickly scanned it.
We were the fourth caller. So today we go to Victory Martial Arts for a children’s safety demonstration, a t-shirt, and maybe something else.
Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning? Although it may not seem so, it might be a good idea to watch this. If you don’t have five minutes to spare on a day like today, maybe your life is too complicated. Alan Jackson sings his beautiful tribute song:
This is why I pray without ceasing that someday soon, we can all live in Peace.
Does it even matter? It does if you want to be an example instead of a warning.
“I don’t want to run unless I know I’ve done my best. And the only way I know how to do that is to run flat out until I have nothing left. Running any other way is Chickenshit”! — Steve Prefontaine
