You are Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link

I have become technically sound in the Triple-Jump and in the Javelin. I am starting to know and understand the way that the body is supposed to move throughout each of these events more and more. I have been considered "good" by others because of these things. However, by the numbers, I am by no means a regular contributor to this Track and Field Team.

I am okay with that.

The trade off for me is that I have been given the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself and I have the chance to get to know the people on this team beyond Track and Field.

Stephanie Shockley: Wants to be a Cross-Fit Champion one day

Brittany Gerhardstein: Wants to do Occupational Therapy

Brittany Sterling: Is pretty good at Ballet

Brandon Eddy: Really is a great guy with a big heart!

Victoria Brown: Nicknamed "Lippy" because she used to have her lip pierced

Sarah Simmons & Jessica Ballard: Used to do gymnastics

Jeremy Harris: Loves Peanut Butter & Jelly day just as much as I do

Mike Smith: Actually came to B-W to be a hurdler

Eric Schmuhl: Alter ego is Rob Dyrdek

Zac Marinucci: Calling him a handyman would be an understatement

Frank Shotwell: Used to blog about Track at Michigan and is a Conference Champion

The Cross Country Guys: Are Awesome.

You guys, including everyone that I did not mention, have made this year and last year the most fun that I have had in a long time and I wanna thank you for that. You have made me a stronger person by helping me realize what is most important in life: friendships

Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Everyone in the Running World knows how much a weekend away from competition can do for your body. However, what it does to your mind is something completely different.

The Baldwin-Wallace Track Team did not have a meet to attend and compete in this past weekend. It is the only weekend off for many of us, with the exception of those that don't make Ohio (Me). However, practicing and socializing with teammates becomes a routine and when you go two straight days without pushing your body like you do on other days, there is a chance that you will feel like shit. I experienced this affect this weekend and I heard from many others today at practice that they felt the same.

I feel that this team is closer than it appears to be. Yes, the distance runners are not best of friends with the sprinters and the jumpers are not the best of friends with the throwers, but each group exhibits similar qualities: Work hard, Get better, Have fun, Compete, Push yourself, Encourage each other, etc.

What I am saying is, I know that it is much easier to just look down as you walk by a teammate that you may not have much in common with on the surface, but at the end of the day, that individual is still your teammate. And, he/she wants you to succeed as much as you want them to succeed. At the of the day, we are all in this together. Let's transition the "Track Meet" mentality into an "Every Day" mentality.

I have built more relationships through this Track Team than I could have ever anticipated. I look forward to seeing each of your faces at practice, every day. I look forward to hearing how you are doing/how your workout went/how school is going/what is up, every day. I am  in no way trying to receive praise, I am simply trying to show you all that it is an easy thing to do and will make you feel pretty good and (I hope) that my teammates know that I genuinely care about all of you.

Hitting the Wall...

At some point in time, we all start to feel like this.

We just keep running and jumping and throwing until we hit that wall and then, BAM! You start to look and feel like these two.

We all know that "2:30 feeling" and we know how it affects our workouts. Sometimes, a day off is just what we need. Maybe even two. So, for your sakes, I have taken the liberty to highlight some things that you can eat to help rejuvenate your bodies when you start to get a little exhausted from so much Track.

1. Berries – All berries, especially Gooseberries, are very rich in vitamin C and therefore highly useful to the body.
2. Green vegetables – Broccoli, spinach, lettuce, salad leaves and other such greens are highly beneficial for the body. Not only do they help keep the body weight low but also help fight toxins.
3. Nuts – Almonds and cashew nuts are like power houses of energy. Consuming nuts on a daily basis will fight that lethargic feeling and fill the body with immense energy.
4. Whole wheat pasta and brown rice – Carbohydrates are long term energy foods and should never be given up unless you want to invite trouble. Substitute white pasta and rice with whole wheat pasta and brown rice and you will instantly feel the difference in your energy level. (The Brown Rice at Chipotle tastes exactly the same, if not better!)
5. Water – Nothing compares to water Stay away form those aerated drinks for it takes 32 glasses of water to balance out the ill effects of one glass of soda. Water is essential for our body. It flushes out all the toxins from the body. It also provides fluidity for the flow of blood. At least 8 glasses of clean pure water must be consumed on a daily basis.

There are several other things that can help, but I felt that these are the easiest things to get a hold of on campus. Strawberries and Blueberries are the latest thing in Lang and Green Veggies are everywhere (just have a salad with some spinach/broccoli and you are good to go). Bags of peanuts (and I think cashews) can be found in Buzzy's. Whole wheat pasta is often a choice in the Union on Pasta Day and Brown Rice at Chipotle if you want something that tastes even better. And lastly, water can be found anywhere. Do not take the wonders that water works for granted.

If you want to know what else was on the list, just check out the link below. See you all at practice.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/top-ten-rejuvenating-and-anti-ageing-foods.html 


Hard Work.
Dedication.
Go Pre.

That's Cleveland..

The time has come to run and throw things outside.

Obstacles are what you see when you take
your eyes off of the goal

This picture represents what we all see, but only few ever think about. In our lives, there are many obstacles that are thrown at us and sometimes these obstacles knock us down. We have to find a way to overcome. Roll with the punches, and keep our eyes on the prize; the OAC Title is what we want.

The OAC Title is what we must have.

So, whether you are working out alone or with a friend, work hard. Push yourself and each other so that when that time comes when you are needed, you do not see the obstacles in your way. Rather, all you see is the finish.

I think that we all know what the definition of insanity is is or have heard this definition from someone (Schmuhl) at some point in time. But, for those that do not recall, allow me to expound upon this thought..


Insanity- Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I know that many of us have the desire or the urge to reach that next level. In order to achieve greatness, we have to constantly change, grow, learn and adapt. Now is as good of a time as any to change.

"The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself" -Billy Mills 

Hard Work.
Dedication.
Go You.

All-American

My Baldwin-Wallace Track Fans, say hello to your two newest additions to the All-American category to come out of B-W:

Freshman, Danielle Torrence- 3rd place in the Shot Put

and

Sophomore, Brandon Eddy- 4th place in the Heptathlon

These two young athletes are setting the tone for the future of this track team. The throwers continue their dominance with (I do not even know how many) All-Americans and the combined event teachings of E. Schmuhl have proven superior to the rest of the nation with 3 All-Americans in the past 3 years.

Congratulate them when you see them. These two athletes have worked hard and their hard work has paid dividends. They can now call themselves All-Americans.

Congratulations to two great athletes. Keep it up.

Disappointment...

Today is the day.

This day marks the first day of competition for the 2011-2012 Indoor Track & Field Natioanl Meet and I am at home writing another blog about it instead of watching from the bleachers in Grinnell. Unfortunately, I have a prior commitment that requires my attendance. However, I was determined to watch the meet online as it was happening and keep up on updates from each event.

NCAA has other plans.

It turns out that you can't stream the track meet live until 6 p.m. tonight. That is crazy! I want to watch my teammates now!

Anyway, good luck again to Brandon Eddy, Danielle Torrence, Tina Perrine, Leslie Purnell and Zac Marinucci. I will be sending out positive thoughts all day. Just go out and compete well. Your training has gotten you to this point, so let your training tak you the rest of the way.

We are proud of you all no matter what!

If any of you want to watch the National Meet later on tonight, here is the link to the site:
http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule

Hard Work.
Dedication.
Go Jackets.

Grinnell, Iowa?

I have found it difficult to find much to talk about during this week of Spring Break. However, there is no denying that something needs to be said about the next few days...

Baldwin-Wallace College has had another stellar Indoor Season of Track and Field and it will all be wrapped up in the next 2 days. We have 5 athletes competing in the National Meet!

(From L to R) Brandon Eddy, Tina Perrine, Leslie Purnell,
Danielle Torrence, Zac Marinucci, Mitch Supan

These athletes have trained extremely hard and have earned the right to be in the National Meet. The question now is...

How many will be All-Americans come Saturday?

Comment below with your predictions as well as how far each will throw and how many points Beddy will score in the Heptathlon. Closest answers will get their favorite candy bar on Tuesday at the first Outdoor Practice of the year.

My money is on at least 4.

Beddy will score 5210 points in the Hep
Zac will throw 54'10'' in the Shot
Leslie will throw 44'0 in the Shot
Danielle will throw 44'1.025'' in the Shot
Tina will throw 55'11'' in the Weight

Good luck to everyone! I wish I could be there to cheer you all on.
Bring it home.

Official NCAA Rankings here!
http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/trackfield-indoor-men/d3
http://www.tfrrs.org/lists/771.html#68

The Road to 7 Feet

Coach Schmuhl

Dictionary.com states that a coach is a person who trains an athlete or a team of athletes. Examples of a coach would be a football coach, boxing coach or, in this case, a track coach.

However, it said nothing as to how a coach trains his athletes. It does not say that a coach trains his athletes by running them into the ground or by giving them a boost in their confidence. I have had many coaches and I am sure that many of you have as well. But, in the year and a half that I have had Eric Schmuhl as a coach, I have learned that good coaching is a mixture of Art and Education.

The one definition of Art that I feel most accurately explains how coaching, when done well, is a form of art: imaginative skill as applies to representations of the natural world or figments of the imagination. Then, the coach must figure out a way to portray these images to his athlete/s in a way that will allow them to get better. After all, it is all about getting better.

I was an observer at yesterday's practice. I conversed with a number of those still training for the Indoor National Meet as well as some that were training because they wanted to train. These are some of my favorite days at practice because I have the freedom to roam the indoor track and just watch people improve. It hit me at the OAC Meet last week that I get more excited watching other people compete and succeed than I do in competing myself.

Case and Point: Brandon Eddy clearing a 6'7 bar to take 2nd in the High Jump in the OAC

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that Schmuhl has been an influential person in my life and has taught me things that I did not understand at first, but with time, have come to be things that I try to embody. It is hard to explain his teachings in words because that is not the way that they were taught. Schmuhl teaches through his actions. Through his actions, he gives his athletes the best opportunities to improve. And improve is what his athletes continue to do.

What he has helped his athletes accomplish shows his versatility. This man coaches the Combined Events for a reason and that is because he is damn good at it.

For a little more factual information on this man, check this out:
http://www.bw.edu/athletics/cc/staff/schmuhl/

Hard Work.
Dedication.
Go Pre.