A Minor Setback

It has been a gap in between entries. No I haven't been slacking but more so I have been battling illness and travelling. As Daylight savings fast approaches, the seasons change and that means me and my Sinuses go toe to toe. This is something that occurs every spring and every fall when the climate changes. My nasal drip makes me sound like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh and I can't sleep because my passages are clogged up.

With all that said, it has had an immense effect on my distance interval training. The fluid constantly dripping into my lungs and throat has made it difficult to train. The topsy turvy weather has continued with the rain and colder temperatures. My continued training indoors on the treadmill finally caught up to me as I started to develop shin splints. Luckily, I remembered what the Cross-Country guys used to do after their practices. I went home and grabbed some Dixie cups filled them up with water and waited until they were frozen. From there, I did 15 minutes rubbing in a circular motion and 15 minutes rest, for 4 times.

But all isn't whoa is me...I have been hitting the weights hard!!! In my efforts to train and get fit, my lifting has helped build lean muscle and sculpted my body a little bit. I am almost back to my college weight of 185 lbs. I think I may shoot for 190 lbs. But I don't ever want to be 200 lbs, maybe I am fortunate with my metabolism to never have had weight issues. I think at my height of 6'2" 175-190 would be fine.

As I mentioned, I have been travelling as well. The first leg of the trip took me to Chapel Hill, NC. I was in town for an interview for a Business School interview with the University of North Carolina. I loved my time in Chapel Hill as its a special place, college town meets southern city.

(Please note the next couple of lines will probably talk about how I want to attend Kenan-Flagler Business School really, really badly...So if you don't like UNC or Chapel Hill, I'd advise you to scroll down a couple of lines)

My fraternity brother James, or as I affectionally call him "My Neo" picked me up from Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU), we were able to check out Franklin Street, and get some famous Carolina Barbeque. Everytime I go to the Triangle, I get BBQ and it never disappoints. I was also able to catch up with my MBA Ambassador, Jamal, who was really cool giving me pointers and introducing me to his network of Admissions and MBA classmates. Overall, the KFBS community was amazing, the spirit among professors and cohorts is infectious. In my gut, its just feels like a place I could call Home. That's what matters most to me, can I and will I fit in with a program.

If admitted, I know which concentration and the professor I would want to study under. Dr. Johnson who is absolutely brilliant. He was in tune with urban redevelopment and also taught one of my peers as well. I could go on for days....

My second leg was in NYC...for Jackie Rob. Which is always fun! I got a chance to reconnect with my boys for life Drake, KP, Matt and David. A lot of planning and strategy for what our organization is going to do for 2010 and next year. Also during our down time, we celebrated Drake's upcoming wedding by sending him off right...(Yeah buddy!) But during my time in both places, I had fun and now I am feeling better and looking forward to hitting the homestretch, Relays are almost a month a way.

Song of the Day - "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor

Do you really want it...?

I apologize for the delay in entries. My training has been intense and let's be honest until your body adjusts...you do two things after a workout. EAT and then subsequently catch a food coma...or what everyone calls the ITIS!!

Let's just say the Itis hits me like Rampage Jackson in the UFC. I'm down for the count...



My schedule has been hectic with work and then balancing the trainings.

Mondays and Thursdays are generally designed for developing my arms and shoulders.
Tuesdays and Fridays are my leg workouts. Which are always ohhh so fun after you run your heart and legs into submission... Literally I think I love to torture myself and push myself until I know I can't give anymore.

Wednesdays, I try to save my body and do some cross-training by running in the pool. The water is soothing because it doesn't put as much wear and tear on the joints as the treadmill but provides just as much or more resistance. I feel exhausted without the pain in the joints. The training is helping to get my cardio back. Cardio is so important especially making the jump from the 200 to the 8. I want to be able to have a final kick and that umph blow by everybody in the homestretch.

Living in Fargo, whoops I mean Philly, although it seems like Fargo with all the snow that has been accumulating over the past two weeks. It has made it impossible to run outdoors where I can time myself on the track. Without a standard to gauge myself...I'm just building stamina and muscle.

Incredibly through my workouts and increased appetite I have gained 5 pounds of muscle and will probably gain more. I have been asking myself because my body doesn't recover as fast as it did when I was in my early 20's and late teens....(I need that Barry Bonds, that BALCO) Do you really want it? Is it really worth the soreness and pain. Ironically, when I had doubts, Ricky Martin's La Copa de Vida played in my Ipod.

Do you really want it?
Go, go, go, allez allez allez
Go, go, go,
here we go, yeah

[1] - The cup of life, this is the one.
Now is the
time, don't ever stop
Push it along, gotta be strong.
Push it along,
right to the top

[2] - Como Cain y Abel, es un partido cruel.
Tienes
que pelear, por una estrella
Consigue con honor, la copa del amor
Para
sobrevivir y luchar por ella
Luchar por ella (YEAH)
Do you really want
it... (YEAH)

[3] - Here we go! Allez, Allez Allez! Go, go, go! Allez,
Allez Allez!
Arriba va! El mundo esta de pie. Go, Go, Gol!! Allez, Allez,
Allez

La vida es, competicion. Hay que sonar, ser campeon
La copa
es, la bendicion. La ganaras, Go, Go, Go!

And when you feel the heat.
The world is at your feet
No one can hold you down. If you really want it
Just steal your destiny. Right from the hands of fate
Reach for the cup
of life. 'Cause your name is on it
Do you really want it...(YEAH)
Do you
really want it...(YEAH)

Tu y yo! Allez, Allez Allez. Go, go ,gol! Allez,
Allez, Allez
Tonight's the night, we're gonna celebrate
The cup of
life!!! Allez, Allez, Allez.
Un, dos, tres, allez allez allez. Un, deux,
trois, allez allez allez..

Those lyrics inspired me to get through my workout. So I guess I do really want it...
Arms:

• Seated Lat Pull Down 3x 10
• Seated Low Row 3 x 10 (Core)
• Triceps Extension 3x10
• Flat Dumbell Press 3x10
• Torso Extension 2 x10
• Pectoral Flys (for the B cups) Gotta have them B's 3x10
• Seated High Row (Core) 3x10 Alternating Arms

Legs

• 15 Minute Bike after run (Fullout Sprint RPMs over 100)
• Reverse Lat Pull Down
• Leg Press 3x10
• Squat 3X 10
• Standing Calf Raises 3 x10
• Twisting Knee Ups (Core) as many as you can 2 sets

Clearly, I was 'bout it on my routine. I feel more refreshed and more energized than previously before. My body and food intake has definitely made me more sculpted. But we still got a ways to go...Maybe I'll post a pic and let you see how the progress is coming... Until next time.

Song of the Day - "I Get It In" - Omarion feat. Gucci Mane (Brrrrrr!)

Snowed In...No Worries I'm Goin' In!

With the recent snowstorms in the Northeast, it's has been a polar bear's paradise. Needless to say with all the snow still on the ground, training has been less than ideal. 2 Days in I have been limited to isometric workouts. So as I hopppped out the bed (in my southern drawl)....put my thermals on?!

Yeah put my thermals on...I saw snow on my car again! So much for a morning run. However, despite my disappointment I did manage to do my morning routine. (Sidebar: Remember as a kid, you PRAYED for a blizzard that kept you out of school for this long? Well, as a adult this sucks because you go to work no matter what. Well at least, I do. When will the NYSE give snow closings?)

So at 6 am, I start my morning routine which consists of:

My Ab Routine:

Self Throwdowns 2 x 30- Grabbing a stationary object and propelling my legs from 9o degrees to inches from the floor but never touching.

Crunches - 2 x 30

6 inches - 2 x 20 sec

Planks - 30 seconds - Each direction

V - Ups - 2 x 10

All this is designed to strengthen my core muscles which will be critical for me to keep form, I can picture my coach screaming " Hold your Form!!!"

Pushups 2 x 50
Diamond Pushups 2 x 25

You would think dude good workout! Done for the day, No, This is a good tone starter.

After I do my routine, I tend to get hungry: So I eat a few things before work.

Diet (Meal 1):
McGriddle, 2 Cups of Orange Juice, and Muscle Milk
Why Muscle Milk? Ask Hans below...




So at work, I realize I'm a nibbler. (Cue John Madden: He's a nibbler!) I eat frequently throughout the day.
(Mini Meals 2-3) including Lunch and Snacks
I ate 3 soft pretzels, 8 tangerines, rice, okra, catfish, and a PBJ sandwich. I don't know how many calories I consume, but I'm pretty sure it equals to me being a Fatty...(Oh, the irony!)

I feel OK with this because I have a high metabolism and I will burn this off. Hopefully, all the carboloading will stick and I maintain my weight or even gain lean muscle.

Checking in with my doctor before I started this program, he emphasized constant hydration. So as I get my nth glass of water of the day, I check in with Tom (The Juice Guy) to see what leg I'm gonna run. He informs me that I'm running the 8 leg. Granted, the 8 is a totally different animal. Considering my max distance in college was 200m, this ought to be fun. Either I'll pull a Chariots of Fire/Prefontaine moment or I'll crash and burn like Carl Lewis or (insert D-list actor or athlete) singing our national anthem. Either way, Franklin Field will be fun.

The rest of my day blurs by...and before I know, it's about 7pm. I realize I do need to get some running in to maintain my cardio.

I LOATHE THE TREADMILL! LOATHE....

It's bad on your joints and the monotony just kills me.

At the gym, my evening workout consists of the following:

Interval Run - 15 Minutes 3 min- Sprints 3 min Jog Repeated
2 Minute Cool Down

Hatchback Squat - 3 x 10 Weights: 145lbs, 195 lbs
Core - Knee-up 2 sets of as many you can do Set 1: 25 reps Set 2: Crossing Knees 10 reps
Seated Calf Raise 3 x 15 emphasis on control and making sure you feel the burn on extension
Warmup 90 Set 1: 110 lbs Set 2: 130 lbs Set 3: 150lbs
Leg extension 2 x 10 emphasis on control again
Warm Up (70) Sets 1 and 2: 90 lbs

My Legs are shot and feel like jelly at this point from running and lifting

I finished my workout with Core - Torso extension 2 sets

Afterwards, I drink a shake and eat a sensible dinner...Wow... and just like that I was out like Buster Douglas.

Song of the Day- I'm Goin' In - Wayne feat Drake

Track & Field...A Discovery by Accident

I have always loved sports and physical fitness. When I grew up in Baltimore, my parents had me involved in numerous activities probably to keep me 1) from annoying the bejezus out of them 2) tire me out so that I can go to bed immediately 3) to build a foundation and balance for mind, body, soul and every day life. I'll think I'll go with #3.

This continued as I reached my adolescence when I was played Varsity Basketball in High School, my school was decent and we won a couple of championships. I had a few offers to play Division III, but my heart was D-1 or bust. I had no problems walking away from competitive athletics when matriculating into my undergraduate institution. As I went through my first semester of classes at Bucknell, something felt out of place, although I had more idle time on my hands, it was weird not to have practice or a pick-up game to play. My competitive spirit yearned for competition to prove your worth.

Granted with all the idle time on my hands, I did find other things to occupy my time besides studying. Those who know me, know I tend to act a tad bit 'goofy', 'silly' or even play the occasional practical joke. Well one day, I may have taken it bit too far with one of my good friends to this day DT. I saw DT coming around the corner of our frosh hall. DT, god bless her, she is one of the most well rounded athletes I have ever been around, heptathlete, (sprints like a 8.0 60, shot puts really far), you get the picture, she more than holds her own with anybody. (Beautiful Spirit and awesome friend!) Pretty much at that time, I was not as healthy as I am now, maybe 155 soaking wet. I had a strong aversion to lifting weights for some reason (another story for another time)

So back to the story...I see DT coming around the corner with books in tow on her way to class. I jump out at her and surprise the hell out of her which causes her books to fly...(I know that was mean, but hey, still funny!) I'm rolling on the floor laughing out loud, saying Gotcha! to DT. As I am rolling around on the floor, I slowly notice that DT's facial expression changes from shock to realization to anger. So I did what any smart dude did in this situation...



I ran like I was Usain Bolt.....(Yeah, I ran from a girl, so what! See my description of me earlier)

The girl was a highly trained thrower and athlete. If she caught me it would have been a wrap! (Think Baby Dee vs. Day-Day in Next Friday) So I balled out in my flip flops to my room, locked the door, turned on the PS2...(I know PS2 a throwback) and let her beat on my door like she was Fred Flintstone.

So at dinner we caught up, I apologized. I was like that joke was too good to pass up. She laughed and said you should come out for Track. I was like, I'm not fast, I'm a baller. I dunk and shoot J's. She insisted that I come out and the rest as you say is history.... I traded in my hooping shorts and Jordans for a one piece unitard and track spikes...

This is me in action at the Patriot League Indoor Championships at Navy (2006)

Commentary - M. Contino (aka The Mayor)

Brief Bio...compiled from College Days
2004-05: [Indoors] -- Scored a sixth-place finish in the triple jump at the Patriot League Championships with a personal-best leap of 43'10 1/2" ... jumped a season-best mark of 20'6 1/2" in the long jump to finish 10th at the PL meet ... highest individual finish was a fourth-place performance in the triple jump at the Doug Raymond Invitational at Kent State. [Outdoors] -- Finished fourth in the triple jump at the PL Championships with a season-best jump of 44' 3/4" ... jumped a season-best in the long jump at the Lehigh Games(20'9 1/2") ... took top honors in the triple jump at the Lehigh Games (41'10").

2003-04: [Indoors] -- Best performance in the triple jump was 43'2 1/4" at the Gulden Relays...top mark in the long jump was 21'1 1/2' at the Bucknell Winter Classic. [Outdoors] -- Placed sixth in both the long (22' 3/4") and triple jumps (44'8") at the Patriot League Championships...also recored personal bests in both events at the meet.

2002-03: [Indoors] -- Jumped a season-best of 40'8 3/4" in the triple jump at both the Bucknell Octagonal and the Bison Open. [Outdoors] -- Ran personal best time in the 100m at the Big Dawg Invitational (12.23)...best mark in the triple jump was 41'2" at the Susquehanna Invitation.