Tag: Men

Lane 8 on Sunday

Lane 8 on Sunday.  Today is not a day of rest. 

Why?

Because there are 38 days remaining until I step up to the starting line.

The World Championships!

Can you believe it?

I can’t.

I watched the USA National Track & Field Championships last night, on ESPN.

LaShawn Merritt, the 2008 Olympic 400 meter champion, easily won the 400 in 44.50.

His rival, Jeremy Wariner, ran his semi-final 200 meter race.  Jeremy is not running the 400 this meet.  He automatically qualifies for the World Championships in the 400, because he is the reigning world champ.

Jeremy has completely dominated the 400 for the past decade, until last year at the Olympic 400 meter finals, when he lost to LaShawn.

LaShawn has emerged as America’s next great 400 star.  He turned 23 yesterday.

By the way, America dominates the world stage at 400 meters.  We took Olympic gold, silver and bronze in 2008.  It was not the first Olympics where we swept the top three places.

Jeremy is working on his 200 speed, in order to work on his 400 speed.

I can’t wait to see the showdown later this year at the world championships in Berlin.

In Track & Field circles, we haven’t seen a showdown like this in quite some time.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Lane 8 World Championships?

Lane 8 World Championships?

It’s a modern day David versus Goliath story.

Hey, had a great workout this morning at the Bill Spoon Stadium at Dr. Phillips High School.  While I was training for the World Championships, there were about ten Central Florida High School footbal teams there for light scrimmages.

No pads or tackling.  Just running offensive plays while the defense tried to look sharp.

So, you know me, I shot three very short, and maybe a bit humorous, jeff noel You Tube videos.  Take a look as I sweat and breath heavily after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th 400 meter intervals.

Ain’t it great to be alive?

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Pain Escalated

Pain escalated!

Yes.

Bummer.

Just another step in this impossible journey.

The pain is the worst it’s been in three months.

Not bad enough to stop me yesterday from running 100, 200 & 300 meter “striders” (a really fast run or a fairly slow sprint – a medium sprint)

Anyway, the pain reminds me of the multitude of challenges I’ve faced and overcome, during the past decade.

The challenge at this point though, is that the clock is ticking.  Loudly.

With each pass of the second hand, I can almost feel a vibration in my body.   Like the beginning of some sort of weird, twisted torture attempt.

I will perservere.  I have to.  I promised this to myself, and more importantly, to my son and my wife.

And somewhere way in the back of my subconscious, I promised this to you, the reader.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

What’s Your Impossible Goal?

Do you have an Impossible goal?

Why?  Why not?

I believe if your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough.  You can quote me on that.

Look, I realize everyone, or most people, are insanely busy.  So thinking any of you would have time to read through 30 posts (one month’s worth), is impossible, right?

Well, what I do know is there is a concept called the pareto principle.  It says 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity.

I believe there is the 97-3 principle.  It’s even more selective.

I say only three percent of the population reach for and achieve extraordinary results.

This challenge is for you, the three percent.

Carpe diem, and maybe, happy reading.  jeff noel 🙂

Awesome Day at Lane 8

Awesome day at Lane 8.

Why? 

Because it’s mind-boggling, to me, that this is actually happening in 42 days.

Over a decade ago, I was simply thinking about getting back into shape.  My 40th birthday was on the horizon, so I thought I should rise to the occasion.

That was March 1999.  Here we are June 2009 – into the 11th year of the journey.

There was no possible indication nor even a remote thought that I’d be in a position to represent the United States at the World Championships.

Well, it’s 42 days from reality. 

Come along for the journey, the story, the results – whatever.  Come along just for the curiosity.

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂