HIDDEN POTENTIAL

Long time ..no talk..hope all is well with you as the training and the racing start to ramp up this time of the year...

Work is crazy right now. The Cavs are playing their best basketball in years and the local Cleveland State Vikings made a short run in the NCAA tourney. Akron lost to Gonzaga in the first round.
Training is going steady...alot of interval work going on for me. I have gotten more of a hold on my eating habits and thats good. I am still slated to run the Fools 50 K trail race next Sunday, April. You may recall my 50k adventure in late January in lots of snow and tough conditions. This time, I believe I can answer the call and get the job done... Have been skipping rope like young Muhammad Ali. Love to do a 30 minute session with hard 30 seconds followed by 30 rest for ten minutes, then 40 seconds hard, followed by 20 seconds rest for ten more minutes and then 50 secs hard , with only 10 seconds rest for the final ten minutes... great, great workout. Still lifting and doing more and more core stuff. Will send you pics of my kneeling on the stability ball and doing lifting with a small 6 pound medicine ball. Love that.

With baseball right around the corner, I have a small story about one guy, who delivered when many others did not think he could...When many doubted him and this reporter would have to admit to being a skeptic as well. In spring, 08 I was in Florida and during my 3-4 days there, we interview tons of players for the Indians... Stars like Grady Sizemore, and the kids trying to make the team too. By the 4th day, we had to race to Orlando and catch our flight back. I had only 4 guys left to chat with.I did the first three but almost sluffed off talking to the 4th guy because I had a bad vibe on him, which wasn't really fair as he was always real good to me. But I knew his story. He was thought to be very stubborn and not taking to coaching that much. Or so we thought. He had been sent to the minors the previous summer for about 6 weeks because he was pitching bad and the team was trying to send him a message. When he returned from the minors, he was not even a factor as the Indians went to within one win of making the Series.
I interviewed him, and he said he was a different pitcher and that fans would see just that this season. He was battling two other guys for the final spot on the pitching roster. I thought nothing of this when I returned and as the season got underway.This guy believed in re-starts and believed in himself. He made the team, and proceeded to pitch "lights out". I mean , real lights out. He had a scoreless string. He made the All Star team. Quite literally he was the best pitcher in baseball. Maybe you have heard of 2008 American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee!!???
I was with many who did not believe in him and I ate crow for it. Lee paid that no mind and totally transformed himself and the rest is history.
We all have doubts..about ourselves and others. Cliff Believed. You believe in yourself as an athlete or a coach and everything else doesn't matter. Have a great week and remember....Life's a Blast!!!