The Track

6:50 p.m. - Myself and Kirkland begin our warm-up jog from my apartment to Moakley Track. The air is warm for the last evening of November and the promise of good track session makes me itch with excitement.

It is a feeling that is familiar, but something that I haven't experienced much in the past two years. The hope that these Tuesday evening jog to the track will become a new habit is something that has me overflowing with optimism.

The plan for tonight work out is a cut down drill

1 mile with 800 jog after

2 x 800 with 400 jog after each

4 x 400 with 400 jog after each.

The purpose is to sharpen the sword. The rest between each hard interval was adequate so that tomorrow my legs should feel fresh, but my body was still being reminded of what it means to be swift. In about 3 weeks, my plan is to hit the track hard and the hope is that my body will respond to that new stimulus.

The times were almost exactly as planned.

1mile- 5:50

800- 2:49 800- 2:46

400- 83 400- 83 400- 83 400-83

Only 20 push-ups and 60 crunches before the workout

Turkey Dinner Leftovers after the workout. I will need to do some serious core tomorrow.

Still Soda Free.

The Chore of Core

Strengthening the core muscles is something any athlete must decide to do if the want to reach a new level. A strong core helps the overall efficiency of any runner and the exercises that are used to develop a strong set of core muscles are usually exercises that help develop a mental tenacity.

I titled this post the chore of core because the development of the core is not very often where any athlete has great passion.

Runners love to run. Basketball players love play basketball. Hockey player love to skate.

However, the decision to develop the core is the decision to do the little things that are going to help you make the improvements that you desire. As I am just restarting my core routine, I will be leaving a little room to recap some of my core activities for the day to keep me accountable for the habits that I am attempting to develop.

Core from yesterday ( 11/28)

Total push-ups- 30

Total crunches- 70

Ab Sprinters- 30

Windshield Wipers- 20

Front Planks- 30 seconds

Core from today ( 11/29)

Total push-ups- 40

Total crunches- 90

Ab Sprinters- 30

Windshield Wipers- 20

Front Planks - 30 seconds

NOW DROP AND GIVE ME 10!

Tightening the Vice

Our body is our vehicle. If we want the byproduct of our choices to be physical success by conquering our mind, body, and spirit, then we must come to a few particular realizations. The first realization is that our body is our vehicle. If we do not treat our vehicle with the respect that it deserves, then it will never perform to the unrealistic expectations we set for it. The second realization is that any extreme adjustment that we make to our vehicle could potentially set any particular system within our mind, body, or soul spinning out of control. Therefore, any adjustments that are made to our former selves should be steady, but consistent adjustments that will help our vehicle to perform better and better, the new choices we make will eventually become habits and then we can begin to make even better choices to help develop even stronger habits.

I urge anyone that wants to become a more healthy person to go about adjusting your lifestyle in this consistent method.

To help my vehicle perform better I am looking to make a few appropriate physical adjustments for this week ahead. The first adjust is related to the fuel that I am putting into my body. The new habit that I am working to develop is the elimination of the soda from my diet. This choice seems an appropriate step and not extremely drastic. The chance of being successful is high and I hope to that a positive result of this first test will help to strengthen my ability to make serious and realistic goals to help my vehicle perform better.

A second goal is related to the strengthening of my core muscles. However, I will address this goal tomorrow to space out the amount of time I spend writing.

I encourage everyone that reads this post to take time to reflect on your vehicle and what small decisions you can make for this week to help your vehicle perform at its best.

A New Starting Line

We often come to a point in our lives when we step up to a new starting line. Life may have tested you and challenged you in many different ways, but then you realize that you need to begin a new challenge and although you have raced through many of lifes different races something about this race seems different.

The new starting line is perhaps a challenge of understanding all the previous ups and downs that one experiences throughout their life.

The new starting line for me is an attempt to regain a focus and control of the physical, mental, and spiritual. However, the mode in which I am attempting to regain that focus is not a new mode, but the classic art of striding one foot in front of the other, the art of running.

The Bay State Test is an attempt to see what happens when you decide to take supreme control of all your past demons.

This 1st entry is a new starting point to some potentially drastic change in my body, mind, and spirit.

My hope is that as I begin to change into a better runner (and a better human) that I have the ability, strength, and courage to help more people become better people as well.

Today is the begining of the Bay State Test.