Giving Thanks

First, before I get into this post I just want to say a big thanks to everyone who complimented me on the blog this past weekend. It means more than you know to hear those kind words. It is the main motivating force that keeps me writing, that I wrote something enjoyable, inspiring, or useful.
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching I thought I'd write something of meaning or at least make the attempt. This holiday, in my opinion, has always been about three major f's, football, family and feasting. I love eating entirely more food than I should, watching football, and spending time with family.  All of which is well and good, but this Thanksgiving I plan on spending a little more time appreciating all I have to be thankful for and letting them know.
Earlier this year one of my closest childhood friends passed away in a horrific accident.  It was heart wrenching seeing the pain and suffering of his family and friends in losing someone way too early. I suffered too in a certainly lesser extent and in a different way. I can remember that day I heard of the news of his passing like it was yesterday. Immediately I recalled all the good times we shared and couldn't believe it was true. I could accept the fact that someone could lose their life at the tender age of 21 especially when he had so much to look forward to in life. After the sudden rush of grief, sorrow, and disbelief I became overcome with a feeling of guilt. Why hadn't I been there for him recently, why hadn't I put in a stronger effort to stay close after he moved, like he had been there for me. There was nothing I could do at the moment, there was no getting him back, I couldn't finally be there. Life is a gift and you never know when it might end.  Since my friends death in March I know two others who have passed away too young.
Love, a one syllable word that phonetically is not difficult to pronounce, yet sometimes it is so difficult.  Despite all steps taken towards greater equality we still live in a predominately homophobic society. Sensitivity in a male still correlates to weakness in the eyes of many. There are many males in society who fear saying I love you to another guy in fear of being labeled weak or a fag. Even just merely expressing you care for another guy as a friend is uncomfortable for many. Drake has received criticism from a number of cynics because of the emotion he put into his album with some calling him gay, weak, etc. Saying you love a girl you are not in a relationship with for an extensive period of time is equally frowned upon as it is not common practice to drop the "L Bomb" until one has dated someone for an extensive period of time.
The fact that life is finite has allowed me to better appreciate everything I have in life. I'm blessed to be surrounded by the best family and friends in the world and I will not take that for granted. There are a large number of people in my life that I can say I love. I really do have much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
Thanks for reading and I really appreciate any and all feedback.

The Importance of Team

                Before someone jumps down my throat for “stealing the idea” I’ll come forward and admit that this blog post is in response to two articles I recently read by Donn Cabral, runnerup at nationals in the steeplechase, and Dan Chenoweth, a HEPs champion.  Both individuals are out my league intellectually and athletically, but I want to draw upon their writings in a less eloquent matter.  Here’s the links to both articles and I highly suggest reading them both:http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/xc/2010-11/releases/110707_Dan_Chenoweth_Essay    http://instride.org/archives/1021

                Deciding to attend Marist College was by far the best decision of my life.  I used up all my official visits before visiting Marist and was forced to visit unofficially.  It really wasn’t a big deal as Marist is essentially 13rd grade for St. Anthony’s students so I knew people with whom I could stay.  Having taken so many official visits I did have a measuring stick it which to compare schools, but it wasn’t really necessary.  I know it sounds cliché, but from the moment I stepped foot on Marist’s campus I felt home;  I knew that was where I wanted to spend the proverbial best four years of my life.  It wasn’t the strong athletic or academic reputation that drew me to Marist it was the team.  The track and field and cross country teams are so much more than the Webster definition, a number of persons associated together in work or activity.  That definition does not give justice to what the Marist track team is, a family.

                Puberty is a time of life characterized by great physical change in an individual.  College, on the other hand, is a time of great emotional and spiritual change.  Throughout challenging ourselves in the classroom, devoting hours to a sport or activity, partying way more than we should, we are constantly learning; learning about who we are, who we want to be, and our place in this world.  I came into college thinking I had everything figured out; I left college realizing how naïve I truly was.  To say I learned a lot about myself throughout college would be an understatement.  Some of the highest and lowest points of my life occurred during those four years.  Throughout my four years I always had my team, my family, with me, to celebrate my victories and to pick me up and dust me off when I fell. 

                At Marist student involvement is at the crux of their mission; the entire housing selection is predicated on this notion.  Students sign up for various activities to try to bolster their priority points so they can select Fulton, the upper echelon of housing reserved for the “best and brightest” Marist students.  Throughout four years my friends and I were never Fulton material and that is something I’m perfectly ok with.  I never availed myself all of the activities Marist had to offer, I never got involved the same way other students did.  However, I truly wonder how many students can say they were part of something special.  Excluding trivial intramural teams, I participated in one activity at Marist, but that one activity helped define me, a runner.

                  Sure, I am no longer a runner at the moment, but I know I was part of something special at Marist.  Putting on my singlet before every meet was a privilege, not a right.  It was privilege to represent all the Marist harriers who came before me, my current teammates and those that will come after me.  All my greatest memories were made possible because I was a member of the cross country and track and field teams at Marist.  I was on the track when Rolek broke the school record and able to share in the elation of the hardest working runner and best leader I’ve ever met.  I was on the course when Will Griffin shocked everyone as a freshman at regionals and Dave and Girma both nailed it on the same day.  It was awesome being able to see how happy Pete was that day when our team finally finished in the top 10.  Last year, it was equally incredible when Web stepped up, had a career day, and helped secure our second top 10 finish in school history.  It felt great to see a teammate and good friend of mine have a performance like that after narrowly missing the regionals roster the previous two years.  Sure, I never broke a school record or stepped up like Web did last year, but I was lucky to be able to share in those moments.  And as great as the moments were on the course it was truly awesome to spend four years creating memories off the course as well.  Reflecting back on my college experience, the good, the bad, and the ugly there was one constant in my life, the cross country team, and I’m so proud call myself a Marist College alumni.

                To any current seniors who might’ve stumbled upon this post, best of luck this coming weekend at IC4As, I’ll be there cheering.  It was truly a pleasure to spend my final three years with all of you.  It’s crazy how quickly time flies, cherish every moment of your senior year and make this last race count.  I’ll be there to watch and help celebrate after.

Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it!    

Appreciate What You Got

Never settle, two words that almost everyone has heard as motivation to reach or exceed goals. Its true those individuals that society tabs as successful all seem to have that drive and motivation to never settle for anything less than the best. Michael Jordan likely would not have been the greatest basketball player of all time if he settled for anything less than being the best. I don't disagree with this mindset, but I do wonder on their path to achievement do these individuals take a step back to realize and appreciate what that they do have? Does a highly motivated athlete like Jordan ever fill his seemingly insatiable desire to succeed? Did he ever think hey I got it pretty good, kids look up to me, I got to chill with Bugs Bunny in Space Jam, everyone wants to wear my shoes, I've got scoring titles, MVPs, NBA Championships, etc. or was he too driven by his desire to succeed?
This past Sunday I saw a man outside Church asking for money with a sign that read he lost his job and had four children to raise. I was very taken aback by the sight of this man with his son outside Church. Its not something you see on a regular basis in my town and I couldn't help but notice this man had a very embarrassed look on his face. I really felt for this man who was trying to make ends meet and support his family. It is really mind blowing the degree in which the economy has turned in the past five years. I heard stories from my uncle how employers use to populate career fairs eager to offer employment to qualified college students and how most students graduated with jobs. That world now seems far away as we are mired in this recession with no end in sight. Rallies are forming throughout the country as more people find themselves out of work and the gap between the rich and poor only widens.
Everyday when I leave work I remind myself I'm lucky to have a job. Its not something I take for granted in the slightest. When my alarms sounds at the crack of dawn and my bed beckons for my return upon my departure I remind myself that I am lucky to be going to work. Sure I want to succeed like others, but I never forget to appreciate what I have at the moment. There are a three things that I wholeheartedly believe to be rooted in truth. Never forget where you came from, never forget who you are and never forget those around you.
I am a man who needs little material possessions. I've been rocking the same pair of shoes for a year. They've been through a lot with me; they made the trip down to Punta Cana, they slid through the mud with me during house crawl and they survived the Boardy Barn. My mom tells me to get a new pair and that they smell. I agree, they wreak of memories, excellence and maybe a little beer. The point I'm trying to make is I need little material things to please me. I can never see the point in owning more the one car,  spending $1000's for a Rolex, or spending on others things that are far from necessities. Really, all I need in life is good friends and good drinks, actually on second thought I'll stick with the Natties. Thats who I am and who I hope to always be.
The point I'm trying to make is in life its easy to become envious of others or look ahead to see ourselves where we want to be. This thinking can sometimes cloud our ability to see where we stand currently. I'm sure everyone can find something in their life in which to be grateful. Seeing this man made me think to myself how lucky I am to have a job and not to forget those who are struggling. I couldn't help but feel for this family as they approach the holiday seasons and other families that will not be able to celebrate the way they want. I'll be more mindful of this in the future.  Thanks for reading

Once A Runner

After over a two year hiatus from blogging I've decided to return to the blogging world. I always felt that writing was very cathartic for me and hope that some of my posts might be able to bring humor to one's day, be insightful or provide something that one might be able to relate.

As many know for the time being I have decided to hangup the spikes. Who knows when I'll return to the sport, but following MAACs I decided a break was needed. I figured I'd write this introductory post to explain the different factors that went into my decision.  

To fully comprehend my decision, one must understand the nature of the sport. Track and field is unlike any other sport for two major reasons. Speaking candidly, the general public doesn't give a shit about the sport. If you ask the average American who played in the Superbowl, World Series, NBA Championship or Stanley Cup, at the very least they would be able to name a team and probably multiple.  Ask the average American where the Track and Field world championship was held this past summer or to name a couple of Americans who participated and you'll get no response. If you're in the sport for the glory that comes from excelling at more popular sports then you're clearly in it for the wrong reasons. Running pits oneself against two opponents, the one within and the one in the differing singlet.

Unlike other sports more isn't necessarily better.  The more time a basketball player spends in the gym shooting the better he will get at shooting. I've never heard a basketball player say he had a poor year shooting because he spent too much time in the gym.  Unlike other sports where the relationship between practice time and performance is more linear the relationship in track is more parabolic. A basketball player isn't going to feel any significant side effects from shooting for three hours, while a track athlete will after three hours running.  

My sophomore year of college I had a major breakthrough year running; I dropped my pr at vcp by over a minute from 27:00 to 25:47, I earned All East honors, contributed to Marist's first top 10 finish at regionals in program history and became part of the fastest five man average at vcp in school history. In track I broke 15 indoors in the 5k, qualified for IC4A's outdoor by breaking 31:00 in the 10k and helped the team beat Iona outdoors at MAACs by placing 2nd in the 10k and 3rd in the 5k. Overall, it was a very successful year and one conversation in the van really got me thinking. Conor told Pete about standards from a particular semiprofessional team that included a 10k mark below 30:30. Pete remarked how I was close to that standard as a sophomore and figured it was within reach.

After the season ended I took a week off to relax and talked to my parents. We talked things over and came to the decision that I wouldn't work that summer and see where this sport could take me. I looked over my training throughout the year and saw room for improvement. I thought if I brought my mileage up to 85-90 miles a weeks, up from 60-65 in track and 70-75 in cross country I could replicate the success I had sophomore year. However, looking back I neglected something very important.  Good training involves two Q's quality and quantity. That summer I became obsessed with the second q and greatly neglected the first one. I would make sure every week from July on that I'd hit those 85 mile weeks, but I never really thought much as to how I got to those 85 mile. Almost all my runs were above 7:00 minute pace and could be classified as junk mileage, but I thought I was running more so I had to get faster. I also became a slave to the sport that summer. I spurned attempts by friends to hangout because I didn't want to drink and have that interfere with my training.  My entire day I spent reading running message boards, articles, thinking about goals, my next run, etc. That cross country was a big failure as I didn't reach any of the goals I had set for myself and got really down on myself. 

Rumors started to circulate after the season, Keegan drank too much this summer, he didn't run enough etc all of which lacked a solid leg to stand on. After being named a captain following my junior year and recognizing mistakes made from the previous summer I knew I had to pay closer attention to the second q, quality. That June I had the best month of summer training in my life. However, the first week of July I came down with some mysterious illness. I went to multiple doctors that couldn't pinpoint my illness. A quick monospot test revealed I had mono, but further testing revealed that test was false. I ran a fever of 100+ for ten straight days and never left bed. It was speculated that I got west nile, but no one knows for sure. Whatever I had put a serious dent in my training. Coming back I struggled to stay with my normal training group for just two miles. It took me until the beginning of August to feel like myself on runs. That illness really killed my summer training and once again I did not have a great cross country season.

Running is a very unforgiving sport that can often bring about great frustration. I made an attempt to take things to the next level and fell short of my goals. Of course one make the argument that I give it another shot, but at this point in my life running is no longer the priority it once was. Once you step away from the sport you realize how much of your life running consumes. The previous run, the next run, the next meet are always on a runners mind. A runner must make sacrifices, forgoing social events, to remain dedicated their craft. There are times where I do truly miss running, but overall I'm at peace with my decision to hang up the spikes and live life as a non-runner.