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Wanted to share this email from yesterday – the latest news from World Master’s Athletics.  If you don’t have time, or interest, to read the whole thing, here’s the bottom line:

There are 5,300 world-class athletes, from 80 countries, who are going to Lahti, Finland to represent their country and compete at peak performance.  Plus, there are some interesting links.

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“Dear recipient,

World Masters Athletics Championships 2009 are approaching good pace and we are very excited to get the games started and to meet you in person. We hope that you are fine and that your preparations are going well.

You are one of among 5300 athletes who are participating to the games. You will be competing against strong competitors who are coming from 80 different countries so you are sure to get a real challenge.

We are still working on the schedules, but once we are done, the entry lists and the schedule will be found from our website at https://www.wma2009.org Remember to check the website every now and then for more instructions.

The opening ceremony will be hosted in LahtiMarket Square on Monday evening 27th July starting at 7 pm. We are hoping that you and everybody else, who are attending, would bring a small flag of their home country to this event.

After you have arrived to Lahti, it is recommend to fetch as soon as possible an equipment bag from Lahti 2009 Centre that includes all the necessary items you will need during the games, including a start list, a competitors handbook and information about the host city Lahti. You are asked to register to the games at the same place. An official identification paper with a photo is required.

There will be a big Athletes’ Party on 4th August in Sibelius Hall that is located beautifully by a lake in the passenger harbour. You will be able to enjoy a show by a famous Finnish pop singer Laura Voutilainen and delicious food and beverages. Tickets to the party cost 35 € and you can buy them until 30th July from the Lahti 2009 Centre.

There are still available accommodations in Lahti and the neighbour areas. You can ask more from Lahti Travel. (https://www.lahtitravel.fi,

[email protected])

Some useful links:

Bus Transportation between Helsinki-Vantaa airport & City of Lahti

https://english.wma2009.org/athletes/transportation-in-lahti/bus-transportation-voucher/

avoucher is available to print out which gives you a discount

Official Physiotherapy and massage Partner of World Master Athletics 2009

https://www.tcr.fi

Wellbeing Garden, the Beatles Show

https://www.lahtiorgan.fi/beatles.html

Official Championships Products

https://www.official-merchandise.net/Event_or_Sport/World_Masters_Athletics.htm

We wish you warmly welcome to Lahti and we hope that you will be able to gain some unforgettable memories during your stay.

See you at the Stadium!”

Further explanation required?  Maybe.

Wanted to add an insight to yesterday’s post, just so I can feel better about myself, and offer one of my secrets to help you in your own leadership and excellence journey.

Sharing the mile split times may have sounded, to some, like I was boasting.  It is never the intent to boast.  Ever!

If you knew how hard I’ve worked, for years, to learn pace and cadence, you would probably want to apologize for thinking, “This guy is full of himself”.

What I was really wanting to communicate (and I hope I’m doing it better today 🙂 ) is the encouragement to plant the seeds for impossible goals, and then have the patience and courage to see things through.

Overcome the setbacks, the criticism, the pain, the doubt, the fear.

It must be overcome.

This is one of the big lessons we don’t learn – patience, perseverance and tenacity.

We don’t, because, our goals aren’t big enough.

So, in summary, the secret is, “If your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough”.

Dream Big.  Get There.  Stay There.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

At yesterday’s Watermelon 5k, I ran 20:35.

This is not a bad time considering:

1. I’m 50
2. I’m a sprinter
3. I have not been training for 5k races

So, I was pleased with the time.  It was about where I figured it would be, based on the way I measure my progress.

The plan was to run 6:50 mile pace until the final 800 meters.

It worked out better than I expected:  Mile splits – 6:45 – 6:40 – 6:35.

Running negative splits is incredibly difficult.  I hope to do it at 400 meters also – which is unheard of.

I never said I follow where the path leads, did I?  🙂

See ya tomorrow?

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂