That first track season was exciting. It provided new and abundant motivational fuel. It ended poorly, but that only made my resolve greater. And I set out on the long, slow road to hamstring-tear recovery.

Long story short, the next year, wiser and much more focused, I ripped the other hamstring.

Stupid boy.

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Can you feel the tension? It’s beginning to choke me.

Am getting another rush of urgency.

Apathy disgusts me. Wish I could accept apathy. Can’t. Won’t. Promised I wouldn’t.

How do you personally battle apathy, and apathetic people?

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Oldest Athlete 100 Years

Sundays in August. You Tube videos. Perfect timing for a look back one year ago.

Lane 8 makes you want to do something when you consider this man was 100 years old and still competing in sports – the Shot Put no less.

Returns The Shot Put To Thrower

Wonder If Alfred Made It To 4 Meters

(next blog)

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No Predicting What Lies Ahead

Do you have a big goal you want to accomplish by this time next year?

What’s it going to take?

We contemplate what we believe we can do. You know, we take what we’ve done and think about what we’ll be able to do when we get the next chance to try again.

It’s kind of like being an armchair quarterback.

Sitting in the comfort of our living room, watching the game, or World Cup, we comment like we know what we’re talking about.

Nothing will ever replace the preparation, wisdom, courage and guts of “game day”.

There is one prediction. July 2011. Masters Track & Field World Championships in Sacramento.

(next blog)

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Who's In?

The 2010 Master’s Athletics Indoor Master’s Track & Field World Championships are being held March 1-6, 2010 in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The deadline to submit your entry is tomorrow, January 31.

World Championships?  Are you kidding me?

Ten years ago, absolutely.

Today, not so much.

In the for what it’s worth category, click here to view the Men’s 50-54 Master’s age group entries.

Most people can not even fathom what it would take to compete at a world-class level. Which is perfect, because Lane 8 isn’t about how to run faster, it’s about how to never stop running…..or walking, or swimming, or cycling, or dancing, or whatever it is that you find motivation to do.

Just keep moving.  Just keep eating well. Just keep being a great health example to the people you care about. That’s why Lane 8 exists.

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Poison or Passion?

“Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.  It may get tough.” — 2006 Fortune Cookie

A Lane 8 reader commented recently that part of her motivation, as she was training for a Marathon, came from a fortune cookie saying.

Had to read it several times.

Each time, it got better.  Each time it had more power. Each time it made indomitable will seem more like an antidote than a pain.

Be willing to be uncomfortable.

Be comfortable being uncomfortable.

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To Live Without My Music Would Be Impossible To Do

We all love music don’t we. And tonight, New Year’s Eve, we’ll most likely be listening to great music. What a joyous occasion New Year’s Eve is for so many people.

One of my favorite songs from legendary Country singer, Garth Brooks is “Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old“.  It reminds me of all the resolutions people make to get in shape, lose weight, quit smoking, etc.

Last week, I was reminded of this and had to laugh. The morning that I was heading to the Podiatrist for long-term foot pain, was the same morning an email came from the USATF, United States Track and Field.

The email announced the deadline was fast approaching for the 2010 Master’s Track & Field Indoor World Championships, in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Good thing I have a sense of humor, and a box of tissues.

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Nike has one too, “I’ve Got Soul“.  It’s even a You Tube video.  It’s what I’m I’m craving right now – a little soul.

That video, even though it’s only 63 seconds, never fails to inspire me. How many days, and how many ways, do you inspire yourself before you ever walk out your front door?

Seriously, how many?  Hey, you don’t owe me an answer. You’ll never owe me anything. But I challenge you to challenge yourself and ask, “What do I owe myself?“

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If you’re new to Lane 8, welcome.  Earlier this year, there were quite a few Lane 8 blog posts discussing my foot pain and whether or not I could travel to Finland for the Master’s Track & Field World Championships.

And yesterday, after writing the post, “43rd”, it caused me to do several things:

• Be amazingly thankful
• Become more confident
• To feel like a victor, rather than a victim
• Pray for others to overcome their own struggles

The last one in particular is the one that seems most important.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Fall down seven times, get up eight.

If you’re goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough.

Carpe diem.  It’s completely up to you. You are the CEO of YOU, Inc.

Yep, it’s gonna hurt like hell to reach your big dreams.  Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Once you realize that hard work is the way, the way gets easier.  It doesn’t become easy, simply easier.

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The friendly Twistee Treat employee, Lori (may or may not be her real name), asked, “How’d it go?”

We’ve been going to Twistee Treat for four years and Lori was always there on Mondays and Fridays.  For the past year or so though, Lori has a different schedule, we rarely see her.

Quickly, my brain started working overtime to remember what Lori was referring to.  Nothing.

So I sort of embarrassingly asked Lori, “How’d what go?”

“The track meet.”

Then it hit me.  I gave Lori a Lane 8 business card at some point and must have described the Lane 8 vision.  You know, “If your goal isn’t impossible….I don’t care if I get the worst lane and come in last.”

Because I’ve had time to process, and have overcome the reluctance to just spit it out, I was able to come right out with it, “Forty-third.  In the world.”

“There were 5,300 athletes from 80 different countries.  In my event (400m) alone, there were 63 athletes aged 50-54.  Eight of them were Americans.  Seven made it to the semi-finals.  I was the one that didn’t.”

43rd. In the whole world.  Ya with me?

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