Lane 8 Back @ Gold’s Gym

Lane 8 is back at Gold’s Gym.  My son and I went to Gold’s Gym Orlando yesterday, for the first time in three weeks.

He went to play in the Kiddie Gym, a very cool perk for this world class Gold’s Gym facility.

There are a only a few people at Gold’s that knew I was heading to Finland.  So, John came up to me and asked, “How’d you do”?

It was challenging for me to answer his question.  I hesitated.  I faltered a little bit.

Why?

Because trying to explain the “results” is complex.

In the real world, I sucked.  I was about 20 places behind my goal.

In the big picture however, I was a true champion, a gold medal performance.  This is the lesson our son should take away from this experience:

“Your Dad did his very best.  For a decade, he worked desperately hard and persevered.  He never quit.

He shouldn’t have gone to Finland.  He wasn’t ready.  His injuries did not allow him to compete at his best.  And yet, despite all the invisible barriers, he went anyway, and still managed to represent Team USA, without getting hurt.

He learned a lot, gained valuable experience, and is re-committed to staying healthy and continuing on this remarkable journey”.

…..to be continued…….

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Lane 8 You Tube video features 100 year old

Alfred Prokschin is 100 years old.  Does his age stop him?  Does he make excuses?

If not today, when? If not you, who?

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Why Exercise?

Why exercise?

Seriously?  You live your life and you exercise and you don’t know why?

Or, you don’t exercise, and you don’t know why?

It’s dark outside, here in Central Florida.

And in a few more months, it will also be cold.

Yet I get up, shut up, show up, and just do it.

It’s time for a You Tube motivational video:

The World Championships aren’t about winning, they’re about doing your best.

Even if you finish last.  At least you got up, shut up, showed up and just did it.  No one can take that away from you.  No one.  Ya with me?

I’m gonna shut up and go show up and run in the dark.

At least it’s not cold this morning.  Carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂

Lane 8 Results

Lane 8 results from WMA Masters Track & Field World Championships, in Lahti, Finland.

Trust me, they’re coming.  It’s just that for me, it wasn’t about the end results.

It was about the journey.

It still is.

Always will be.

And the reality, it’s the same for you.  You are aware of that, right?

That’s why I blog, to help others.  And the reason for that is none of us can help another, without helping ourselves in the process.  It’s one of the most beautiful compensations of life.

Saying that, and knowing society’s predisposition for surface value, it has been challenging to find a significant way to explain the “results”.

But you know me, I love a challenge.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, perhaps you can guess what I’m going to say.

In fact, may I challenge all of you to comment on your prediction?

And like Twitter, if possible, could you do it in 140 characters or less?

Happy Sunday and carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂

WMA Finals M50 400 meters

WMA Finals M50 400 meters.  Masters Track & Field World Championships, Lahti, Finland, August 7, 2009.

The top eight men in the entire world, aged 50-54, at 400 meters. Three of them are Americans – James Chinn, Ben James, and Jeff Lindsey.

USA has a long history of producing an abundance of world-class 400 meter runners. In Beijing, USA swept the Olympic 400 meter finals:

Men’s 400 meters
August 21, 2008

1. LaShawn Merritt, USA, 43.75
2. Jeremy Wariner, USA, 44.74
3. David Neville, USA, 44.80

4. Chris Brown, BAH, 44.84
5. Leslie Djhone, FRA, 45.11
6. Martyn Rooney, GBR, 45.12
7. Renny Quow, TRI, 45.22
8. Johan Wissman, SWE, 45.39

Seven of the eight Team USA M50 400 meter runners made it to the semifinals (top 24) in Lahti last week.  I was the one that did not.

And yet, I still feel like a champion.

Carpe diem, jeff noel 🙂