THE FORK IN THE ROAD

Some quick training notes before we wax philosophical.. Had a great week training. Perfect week actually, even though it began rather sluggishly. Doing some out of the box routines. Bouncing from one discipline to the next. Quick sample???

1. Intervals on the Concept 2 Rowing machine. Like, 10 x 500 meters, with 20 second rest in between. I shoot for 2:30 in each one. (Model below Not TriGuyJt)

2. Rope skipping. 8 x 2 minutes hard with 60 second rest.
3. Elliptical for 15 minutes at 80 percent of max heart rate
4. Bike 20 minutes, with intervals.
5. Cap it off with a treadmill run with pick me up tempos faster than my 5 k goal pace.

Most of these workouts come after I do strength training. I will admit, a little trip to that place that sells ground beans made into a liquid comes before the workout.
I will either race a 5 k April 13 at Hathaway Brown, or April 19 at a race suggested byTriEric and Monica.

MR. INTENSITY
Out of the box training reminds me of all the incredibly dedicated wrestlers whom I have had the pleasure of covering and or knowing over the years. I covered the legendary Dan Gable when he was the coach of the perennial champion Iowa Hawkeyes. Most intense person I have ever been around in sports. Period. I remember the first marathon I ran was in spring 1978. The Drake Relays Marathon. Out and back if I recall. I ran out, was making the turn, and at the moment, a car appeared and out piled a whole bunch of wrestlers. They were capping off an already gruelling session in the wrestling room with a half marathon. Dan Gable was leading them in the run. Legend has it that he used a pack of playing cards. He wrote something on each card. Like 50 crunches. or... 5 back and forth crab-walks, or 20 pullups.. 52 cards. Each had something. He would shuffle the deck and pick a card and do that exercise. He would go through the whole pack. And then do it again....and again. You could never out work that man.

The cards are a great trick. Switches things up.. Keeps it interesting.

BOBBY MARTIN
Sorry to report that Bobby Martin did not get a spot on the Cleveland Gladiators Arena team. However, Bobby continues to inspire others.


HOLLY KOESTNER
Wheelchair marathoner will appear on a Wheaties Box that highlights military personnel. In the meantime, Holly will attack every race like its her last.


KALEB KASCHALK
He is the soon to be 19 year old who will enter the Ironman in Nice, France this June. He continues to train and raise money for the V Foundation . Here is his donation page All this is in honor of his late Grampa, who died of cancer. My piece on him has yet to run on Fox 8. Its very touching to see baby Kaleb with grampa.


and..... speaking of the dreaded c word. This reminds me of a story about one young man's turn around. How he came to the proverbial fork in the road. Destructive path one way. Redemptive path the other.

THE FORK IN THE ROAD
December 2006 he was getting honored by his high school for earning a college football award. He was given a jersey from his high school. It was very touching. He balled like a baby.


Afterwards I asked him, what was going through his mind when he was getting the jersey, and the digntitaries were offering verbal bouquets in his honor.


He said, " I was remembering how my coach took me aside that summer before my senior year. He told me I was a cancer to the team. He told me my attitude was bad and that I was a destructive force. But, he told me all of this from a position of Love. I had never heard that before. No one had ever spoken to me like that and certainly no one had ever admonished me with so much love. I decided to change my ways".

The player changed his ways. There were bumps along the road. The player was suspended for taking money from a college booster. He had to work his way up from practice squad player, to second string and finally to being a starter. His senior year, his team was the best in America after beating its arch-rival.

The player won this trophy.

And now, today, Troy Smith is going into his second year with the Baltimore Ravens. He talks to kids in Cleveland and Baltimore about making the right choices. Its all because he came to a fork in the road, and he made the right choice.


We might not have choices that Troy was faced with. Maybe our choice is just how much we will swim today. Or whether or not we should volunteer at the Salvation Army, or how we will treat our bosses or friends. May you be guided to make the right choices.