Tag: world championships

Dude, You Is Crazy

“Dude, you is crazy”.

Hardly a day goes by where I don’t feel misunderstood.

Yesterday brought that home more powerfully than usual.

It could be the pressure of the approaching deadlines:

  1.  August 1 –  I fly to Helsinki.
  2.  August 4  – I run the first of three possible 400 meter heats

What if I don’t make it to the semi-finals?

I certainly don’t expect to make it to the finals, but the semi’s, absolutely.

And as a reminder, even though I don’t expect to make it to the finals, that is still the goal.

Why?

Because it’s impossible.

Many people I think, rarely, if ever, as an adult, attempt impossible goals.

Because of this, if you are a person who is chasing an impossible goal, your focus, your thinking, your actions, the pressure – it’s very different than normal, everyday type of behavior.

It has to be.

This experience has exposed me to, and taught me, so many things on so many different levels, that I can’t even begin to describe it.

So anyway, I’ll just leave it at that for now.

Make it a great day, because if you don’t, who will.  Remember, I’d rather try and fail, than live with the regret of not knowing.  Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Is Rest Under Rated?

Rest sometimes seems counter productive.

Doing nothing could mean we are not advancing towards our goal.

How can not advancing be a good thing?

So we push ourselves.  We compromise.

At least that’s my temptation.

More is better, right?

Well, I’m trying not to make the same mistakes four times, and stay injury free this season.

Yesterday was, and today is, dedicated to rest.

What this also does, is make me hungry for the next workout.

How important is hunger in achieving your goal?

Stay hungry, get some rest, and never let your memories be bigger than your dreams.  Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

World Record 400 Meters Video Story

Here is the video story of the fastest 400 meters ever run.

It was done at the 1999 World Track & Field Championships, in Seville, by Michael Johnson.

By the way, Michael Johnson currently holds the world records in both the 200 & 400.

While none of us will ever break a world record, we might ask ourselves, “Have I given it my all?  Have I done my very best.  Do I have any regrets?”

Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

USATF website

USATF = United States Track & Field.  Everything from our US Olympic Team, US World Team, plus Collegiate, Masters and High School meets, athletes, training, etc., are found here.

Here’s the Home page for the 2009 World Championships – USA Master’s World Team

I’m making final logistical preparations to attend.

My training is slowly getting faster and more intense.  That part really is exciting. 

However, I still can’t shake the left heel pain.   That part isn’t really exciting.

Now, when it’s really difficult, is the time I get the most pressure to find an excuse to give up.

But I can’t give up.  Instead, I rested today.   And spent the work day in Jury Duty.

Keep your head up, as difficult as it may be.   Your health is too important to quit.  Do something healthy and carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Who’s more passionate?

Who’s more passionate about your health than you?

In case you haven’t noticed, the answer is no one is more passionate about your health than you are.

If this comes as a surprise to you, please hang up and dial 911.

Hey, I’m joking. Sort of.

The emergency you may have, like I did, was a wake-up call from a routine blood test from my 1999 annual physical.

My “good” cholesterol was dangerously low. It was lower than the lowest acceptable level. This got my attention. It got my mid-life attention because it was something I never, ever thought would be an issue.

Guess again.

So I decided to be the most passionate person I know about my own health. This had made an enormous difference. Like night and day. My HDL is now consistently 56 – 60.

I’m still struggling with my overall cholesterol, but am currently maintaining 190 – 210.

I ran a nice and easy five miles this morning. Worked out at the gym yesterday – to strengthen my core, and then parked at my Church and ran four miles on Apopka-Vineland Road, near Conroy-Windermere Road. It’s decently hilly.

As the Mastercard commercial saying goes, “What’s in your wallet?”

Translated, it means, what did you do today or yesterday to prove you are the most passionate person about your health, on this planet?

Make it a GREAT day, because if you don’t, who will?

Carpe diem, jeff