Triple T's (Team Time Trial)

So today was a great day! lol We are preparing for an indoor track meet on the 2nd of February our 1st and only of the season. So...in order to show everyone where they were at and in order to get the seeding for the meet we had a inter-squad track meet today, I had to run the 60m, the 200, and the dreaded 4x4 lol. For those of you who don't know my logic behind the 400...I despise it lol booty lock is not Shad's friend at all so I try my best and avoid it by any means necessary. Now don't get me wrong if I was chosen to run on the A-Team 4X4 i would be down for the cause...but I wouldn't be hype about the whole situation. So...we get to the track and warm up...I actually warmed up with the sprinters today I think that might have helped, the sprinters warm ups are most times like mini-workouts but my coach had been talking to me about my warm up routine last year when I was healthy and said that it was not thorough enough to totally prepare the muscles for the job at hand. So actually during the warm up one of our assistant coaches was calling out the heats and what not. I ended up being in the last heat of three which included myself and one other teammate, because we only had for timers. First heat was basically the weakest as far as competition second was strongest...so then it was my time. I was a little nervous I must admit because I havent had alot of block or sprint work Ive just been trying to work on my struggle in the hurdles. My start in the prelims was not the greatest I exploded but fell out of the blocks just a little and had to recover but as I transitioned into my drive I felt myself start to pull and dipped it at the line to run the fastest preliminary.

So after the prelims I took a jog around the facility in order to stay warm until the final..."I was trying to simulate the meet as best as I could so that competition is not a shock next weekend". My quad was a little tight so I was mainly trying to work that out before the final...so by the time the final came back around my body began to feel good again the ladies went first followed by the finals men got down in the blocks and in anticipation of the gun I jumped the first...second time around I got bogged down in the blocks a little bit and had to make it up in the last 15-20 meters to pull it out in the end. :-) great morale booster for me...no more than 10 minutes later it was time for the 200...I was a little hesitant about running the 2 actually but hey duty calls, I ended up coming out strong in the curve from lane two and made up the stagger, but in the last 15 meters of the race I tensed up and got drawn back to 3rd! Mental mistakes tsk tsk tsk....my relaxation is something I really need to work on so this week will be basically blocks, strength and speed conditioning along with work on that last 50m of my 200. Hopefully this week Ill get my breakthrough in the hurdles too!

So the 4x4 was the last race of the day I was set to run 3rd and basically had my mindset on just chilling and running for form...but our second leg is the fastest 400 runner on the team and brought us back from 3rd of 3 to second and with our exchange I broke into the lead with one of our freshman mid-distance guys right behind me. I knew that he wouldnt make a move to early and if he did he wouldnt have anything left in the last 100 and I was proved right...I allowed him to come up within like the last 150 then pulled away on the home stretch to run probably a....53 LMAO!!! just bad enough to hopefully make them realize I don't want to run on the 4x4 :-) overall today was a pretty nice little eye-opener. Hopefully I can do well in the 60 on Saturday and pull out something in the 200. Ill keep ya posted till then PEACE!

Almost At My Lowest

Well it has been quite awhile since i last posted to my blog and I have really been working on managing my time in order to post more...but that task for me is easier said than done. Many of you may not know but yesterday was actually my twentieth birthday...I most say I really enjoyed myself my favorite gift was a poster of the 1968 Olympic games where Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood on the podium with fist raised to symbolize black power. Its hanging above my tv in my dorm as we speak!

Well I can't say that today was as enjoyable...as many of you know I am a collegiate track & field athlete, today's practice was one that I can only pray I forget really soon. Ive been running the high hurdles for about 5 years now and my transition from high school to college on the hurdles has been one of the most nerve-wrecking experiences imaginable! Today just added to those experiences...our first meet is on the 2nd of Feb. and I am dying to run the 55mh but I currently cannot even approach the 2nd hurdle which poses an almost impossible chance of me being able to compete in the coming meet. Thus far my coach and I have come to the conclusion that I am not aggressive enough, a bit uncontrolled and without my correct rhythm...when aggressive I lose control....when in control i lose aggression and when both are on...there is no rhythm. I have never experience such a struggle in my track and field career...I've prayed...humbled myself and put in so much work and still I am unable to see results. My mind is exhausted and totally frustrated at this point. Im searching for answers but there seems to be no solutions college was supposed to be my moment to hone my talent and progress but i have seemingly digressed to the point where hurdling has become an on going internal struggle within myself...I cant figure out if the problem is that I had become used to having someone to drive me and compete with in highschool or that it may be all mental... I am just praying that the struggle ends soon.