Track
This past
week we started our next phase of training after our initial conditioning phase
we finished last week. For us it lines
up with our annual Fall Break where WSU students get a couple days off around
the mid-term time. We didn’t have a Fall
Break at Kent State (where I went to school) so this was new to me when I
started working at WSU. We use it to
give the athletes a few days off and hopefully return to practice refreshed and
ready for a new level of training.
Taking a few
days off is just as important as trying to push yourself to the limit every
day. It’s impossible for coaches to know
when an athlete is most susceptible for injury but it’s much more likely to
happen if they don’t take a break here and there. Our athletes want to be ready right NOW but
sometimes they (and we) forget it’s most important to have them ready for the
championship portion of the schedule in late February and then May (and
beyond).
So after
a few days off and a day at the golf course supporting Coach Bolt (see section
below), we got back at it on Thursday with our first speed endurance workout of
the year. No matter how good of shape
you‘re in, nothing can prepare you for the first time your body fills up with
lactic acid from long and intense sprints of 100-500 meters. I can still remember the first time I did
500-300-300-200-200 with 6 minutes rest.
I laid on the track for what seemed like an hour afterwards wondering
what truck had just run me over. I’m
sure I went back to the dorm afterwards and fell asleep immediately. This is what you have to go through to become
a good long sprinter. Luckily, your body
begins to adjust to these types of workouts over time and the recovery process
isn’t nearly as bad the next few times.
For a good long sprinter (200/400) these workouts are the “bread and
butter” of their training. It’s the most
specific work they will get in preparation for those events.
Thursday
was also the first day to get a little event work in so if you had stopped by
the track it would’ve looked like a 3-ring circus with hurdles, long jump, pole
vault, high jump, sprinting, and throwing all going on at the same time. Even though it probably seems chaotic to the
outside viewer, I usually find myself smiling because I know the indoor season
isn’t too far away!
Cross Country Pre-Nationals
Coach
Hunter took the cross country squad out to Terre Haute, Indiana, for their
toughest challenge of the season so far – the Pre-National Invitational. Run on the same course as this year’s NCAA
Championships it brought together over 100 teams, many of which are ranked in
the top-25. Both of our teams were
placed into the “Blue” race, which is reserved for the top teams in the meet. There were around 40-50 teams in the Blue
race and our men placed 31st while our women finished 37th.
Coach
Hunter was a little disappointed in the overall placing but felt confident
afterwards that our team would be ready in two weeks. He has done a great job getting this group to
believe they can achieve at a high level and I’m sure this little hiccup won’t
be a major issue when we’re in Carbondale, Illinois, for the MVC Championships.
Bolt’s 57 hole golf-a-thon
Last week
I mentioned Coach Rainbolt would be walking 57 holes of golf (he’s turning 57
this year) to try to raise some money for Shocker T&F. Well he was able to accomplish the feat and
it was a very enjoyable day. Our entire
team of 130 athletes made their way out to Willowbend County Club in shifts to
be the “gallery” for the event that began at 7:30am and ended around
5:30pm. It took Bolt 285 shots to play
57 holes and he said he felt a lot better afterwards than he did compared to
his crazy 50k and 55k jog-a-thons. So
far we have raised around $8000 for our program and we expect it will
eventually be over 10k. Thank you to
everyone who has donated – it will go a long way towards supporting our great
Shocker athletes!
Tallgrass Film Festival
Believe
it or not Wichita is the home to a great artistic culture. Besides things like museums and live music,
one of the biggest passions for people in this community is movies. In 2003, the Tallgrass Film Association began
the Tallgrass Film Festival with the motto being “stubbornly independent”. It is much like the famous film festivals you
may have heard about like Cannes and Sundance.
There are over 200 films being shown in Wichita this weekend and I
always try to get out and see a few of these great shows.
I was
able to get out to a couple of films this weekend and my favorite was a
collection of short films made by Kansans or films about the state of
Kansas. There isn’t anywhere else you
would be able to see such unique and quality cinema except a festival like
this. Thanks Tallgrass!
“H” Movies
This is
the eighth of a 24 part series (if I don’t bore you all to death) where I list
movies I own by letter (I don’t have any movies that begin with Q, X or Z but I
do have some that start with numbers). I
currently own a small collection of 164 movies (and growing most weeks) on DVD.
Most of
the movies I own I had previously seen and enjoyed immensely. Some are movies that I had not seen but was
curious about. Some were gifts from
people with bad tastes in movies.
I only
have 5 “H” movies but they are all very good so here is the list from best to
worst …..
Movie Name (year made, length,
MPAA rating, IMDB rating, Box office)
Hustle & Flow (2005, 116 min, R, 7.4, $23.5m) –
It’s hard to imagine a movie about a pimp who tries to become a successful
rapper is one of my all-time favorite movies – but it is! Terrance Howard is incredible as Djay, the
down on his luck pimp who is desperately trying to earn a legitimate living but
can’t quite turn the corner. One of the
most fascinating things about this movie is that it was written and directed by
a white guy (Craig Brewer). This was a
low budget movie that was an obvious labor of love for Brewer. If you haven’t seen it, make sure to find a
copy soon. “Everybody gotta have a
dream.”
The Hurt Locker (2008, 131 min, R, 7.6, $49.2m) –
Jeremy Renner stars as a Sergeant in the Iraq War who is assigned to a bomb
squad and ruffles his fellow mates with his wild ways to disarm bombs. This movie won all kinds of award including
best picture of 2008 and it’s easy to see why.
Brutally honest and seemingly realistic, it will open your eyes as to
why people do this sort of job and want to go back again and again even in the
most harsh and dangerous situations. I
love this movie and the final scene with Renner marching off the plane will
give you goosebumps, not knowing if it’s a good or bad thing.
He Got Game (1998, 136 min, R, 6.9, 21.5m) –
This Spike Lee movie stars Denzel Washington as the father of the best high
school basketball player in the nation (played by NBA star Ray Allen). As a young athlete when this came out I was
totally engaged in the behind the scenes recruiting as well as the drama of how
all this affects a young, talented person.
It’s not a perfect movie but I think it’s one of Spike Lee’s best.
Hard Candy (2005, 104 min, R, 7.2, $7m) –
This was one of the early Ellen Page movies that showed her immense
talent. She played a teenager who turns
the table on a pedophile in his own home.
I don’t want to give away what happens in this movie because it’s some
of the most intense stuff you will see but needless to say any male who watches
it will wince while making sure his manhood is still in place. This is a great little movie that basically
only has 2 characters.
Higher Learning (1995, 127 min, R, 6.4, 38.2m) –
This was one of John Singleton’s follow ups after his success with Boyz in the
Hood. The main reason I bought this
movie was because the lead character, played by Omar Epps, is a college track
athlete and how many movies that involve college track are out there? Not many!
Unfortunately, most of this movie isn’t about track, it’s mostly about
racism and how young people are influenced on a college campus. I feel much of the movie is blown out of
proportion but it’s still entertaining nonetheless.
Next week
We are
fully back to practice so I’ll report on that as well as talking about our
Intersquad Draft that takes place Wednesday night. I only own two “I” movies and if you can
guess them both I will give you a million dollars.
Until
then, thanks for reading and Go Shocks!!!
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