Long Focused Off Season

With how my last year went, I was feeling pretty good about myself, aiming higher than I had ever thought I would. When I returned from Germany and the Outdoor Championships, I took a much needed rest for my body and mind. Although I took a short break from everything track related (Lifting, running, hurdling, studying hurdles...) I struggled with keeping myself away. Prior to this year, I had dealt with, year after year of different levels of disappointment for a number of reasons. Even with disappointment in the past I was always eager to get back to work as soon as I could. This year I had some really positive things happen which made my break/rest period even harder to bear.

I took 2 full weeks off from everything then started back up at the track and in the weight room with some basics to build on balanced strength and good flexibility.

Now 20 weeks into my 2016 season training, Coach Shelby Johnson and I have been working very hard. I’ve put in a lot of work and a lot of trust into Coach's system practicing wherever we can. Our practices often saw us not on the track but rather, at the golf course, or on a hill somewhere on the Oakland University campus. We have worked on some things differently from the first full year I utilized Coach Johnson's skills, now that I have worked through some of my hurdle form errors.

I am very excited for this year, setting my goals high, and expecting some major improvements. Last year we saw little glimpses of great things. We know my weaknesses, we know where I’m strong, we know how to make the corrections. I have been hard at work, exhausting myself physically and mentally.

I have already gone to a meet this season, but not for the reason to race. I had a small injury affecting my foot which took me out of training for about 10 days. I then practiced 3 days, took a day off and then headed out to GVSU for the first meet of the year. With my coach with me, I took an hour and a half prior to the race to do a workout, wo

rking on my start and finally (for the first time this year) getting over 2 consecutive hurdles. The result of the meet was not important, what was important was that what I have worked on has made a difference already, and I still feel there is still more to gain on top of that improvement.

It is now time to train for another 5 weeks before I race for real. Same as in the past, we will struggle to find appropriate training facilities, but I make the best of the Avondale High School Hall way and gym to do my hurdle work. One must deal with what he has before he can get what he needs, right?

At the end of the season, I have begun to feel the strains of my day to day life. It has been pretty interesting telling people about how I have a full time job an hour and a half from home, while my track facility is about an hour from work. Waking up at 4 or 4:30 am at least 4 days a week and not getting home til at least 9pm, driving 3-4 hrs. every day. I put in the miles because it means I get to keep my passion going. The physical and mental strain doesn’t make me think twice about keeping on with what I do.

I still live the same crazy schedule and I manage to get to my workouts and put everything into them. If it were not for my training, I’m not sure how I would make it through my workdays. I am excited for what this year will bring...perhaps some big changes are to come...we will see how things go in the next few months.