Blogs : Mike Mockovak

the start of a new era

Today is my FINAL day at acceleration, and I can say with utmost certainty, going there and training was one the smartest things I have ever done. It not only helped me run more efficiently, it most importantly gave me confidence and mental strength. Doing what I did there eased my mind about how I might fare giving it another go to try to make something of myself in this sport. Yes, the workouts there were difficult, sometimes bordering on insanity, but its because of that that I was able to discipline myself more than I have ever been. Many many many track athletes work hard, buts its not always easy to stay disciplined to do it day in and day out. Training with "acceleration" for the last month helped me to realize what has to be done to succeed, they put out their hand, and i took it.

Yesterday was my last running workout, and after my workout I asked the trainer to let me test how fast I can go on their treadmill. All the records they have on the board stop around 20ish mph. And they have to hold it for 6 seconds without assistance. So the guy let me give it ago, with 5 minutes before the next session of people starts, whereas then Id have to leave.

So I went 17,18, then 19mph, and felt fine. Its actually really cool running that fast on a special treadmill like this. Then onto 20mph, which looks fast, but I still did it pretty easily. 21Mph I also successfully completed, but then they made me stop because it was past 3, and the new session of athletes were waiting. So I ran 21mph on a 3.5% incline, so a veryyy slight incline, almost unnoticable. It was really fun.

Now that today is my last day, I can go back to focusing on my regular, usual training and lifting. One week til conditioning starts with the team, but I learned alot from acceleration that I know ill still put to good use over the course of the season.  I am almost a year removed from my back surgery, happy to say im injury free, the shape of my life, and ready to work for my goals. Good luck to everyone.

Lovin It

Week three at acceleration, and Im lovin it. I seriously have a whole new feeling in my legs that I never had before. Every step I take, my leg almost feels like a spring. It might not be AS much as that im getting faster, but more efficient. Im trying less, to run faster, and its great. Last weeks workouts were mainly high incline, faster speed, working on knee drive and my stride, so a little more technical stuff. Today was longer stuff, mostly 50 second runs, a few 1:45s and 1:10s. The last 5-6 runs were fast at about 20 seconds each. I was really in the zone, and I actually wanted to do more. Everytime I come there, I feel I have something to prove to myself, and every workout ive done so far, I have.

Next week school begins, and itll be kinda weird because I am not living there anymore, and Im only taking 1 regular class, and 2 online, for my masters degree. Like Ive said before, im really just going there to run track. I cant look back and think what couldve been, so Im going for it.

Mannn the olys have been horrible for us so far. Injuries and bad tactics have hurt us badly, in the 110s, 1500, 100, etc. I got a feeling since after the 400h we swept, we will start going medal crazy again. 4x1 4x4, 200, 400, 800.

cyaaaa

Confidence

There is something very unique about me in regards to running. Id say 80% of my running I do is simply to get better, but there is that little bit of running that I do where I pretend I am someone else. On my mp3 player, I have about 10 olympic races downloaded onto it as a .mp3 file. So as I am running, its like I am in the race. Once in awhile, maybe once or twice a week, usually at night, like midnight, I run one or two "mock races". My favorite is either the 800m final of this years olympic trials or 2004 athens 400m final. Both races have great commentary, and crowds going crazy. When I run to the 800, I pretend to be Nick Symmonds (who also happens to be one of my fave runners), in that final 200 the crowd and commetator goes crazy as he blasts past everyone. Same goes for the 400m final as the 3 americans dominate the last 100. I run to these, feel like I am in the race, and everything just feels right and exciting.  Its something I love to do.

But anyways, on to my regular training. I am in week 2 of my training at "acceleration". And since week 1, my confidence is soaring. Confidence is one of the most important things to have in this sport, because without it, you wont run to your ability. Youll be scared to go that extra mile to succeed. My last treadmill workout last week consisted of basically 15 30 second runs on a slight incline at a fast speed, and I dominated that workout. I felt so good, and it boosted my confidence. Todays workout was much more difficult, starting with 4 60 second runs at slight incline, and quick pace, to a 1:30 (where this time I finished without a spotter) 2 more 60s then 4 35 second runs at a very fast pace, slight incline. These workouts really force me to keep my form, a long stride and good knee drive, so when I struggle near the end of a race, I can still keep my form and drive hard.

After the first few days of this place, I was scared to come in, knowing im going to kill myself to survive every workout, now my confidence is so high, i come in with the attitude of what do I get to take on today, with real excitement.

The olympics start friday...so I thought id throw in some predicitions for fun..

Starting with gold-silver-bronze

100 gay-powell-bolt

200- bolt-dix-spearmon

400-wariner-merritt-brown

800- symmonds(biggest upset ever)-kaki-reed

1500-lagat-choge-ramzi

All I can say is, wow.

I just finished my second day of training at "Acceleration". The workouts Ive done there are the most intense and difficult I have ever done. And thats really saying something. My first day was running on their special treadmills that can go 26mph and incline up to 45 deg. They started me with 3-4 50 second runs at an honest pace, then a 1:45 run at about that same pace. All 5 of these were on a slight incline, maybe 5-10 deg.  That 1:45 took alot out of me, and I wasnt even halfway done. The next 10 straight intervals were done at a high incline, maybe 35-40 degrees, and a fast pace. They had me run for 6 seconds, then hold the bar in front of me and run 6 seconds, then let go and do one more 6 seconds. When I start to fail, they spot you by pushing your butt so you stay straight up and drive as hard as you can. Between each set, you do ab work. Within the last 5 intervals, I was so dead I had to keep my head in the special puke buckets they have. If you puke in a bucket, you get to sign the bucket haha. They were covered in signatures.

Once I was finally done, I couldnt even drive home cause I was ready to pass out, so I had to sit for 15 minutes. Today was plyos. Which I thought might be a little easier right??? WRONG. Just as hard as the running workout. First I used a special machine you strap into and you push off a platform with weight on your shoulders. Then the next 30 minutes we wore weight vests, and did miscellanous box jumps, all different varieties. The rest between each box was either pushups with a clap, or dips. Then we went to a platform with numbers, carrying a med ball, theres four numbers in a square. He will say what numbers to jump on while carrying the ball, and you jump as fast as you can to each. First double leg, THEN single leg. This was a killer.

THENNNNNN we did a special ladder circuit involving box jumps, ladders, and little hurdles. Still wearing weight vests mind you. Theyve been on for about 45 minutes straight.

Finally we got to take off the vests, and end with about 10 sets of leg press.

Ill be honest, this training is hell. I may have never had a harder 2 days of training, ever. And yes, I still have 3 1/2 weeks of this to do, but I know in the end itll be worth it. You dont get fast overnight. You gotta be willing to put in the work. So after 3 1/2 weeks Ill be able to come back to this blog, and write about how I overcame myself, and worked as hard as I could to be the best runner I can be.

cyaaa

The time is NOW

Theres a famous line in Rocky 3, where apollo tells him "there is no tomorrow". And aint that the truth? Sometimes we can forget how important everyday we train can be, and how it can impact our thought process. Especially in the offseason, when many athletes may think, well its offseason so I can take it easy and do nothing til September. Many know this is not the case.

Monday I am beginning a brand new concept I have never tried, its called the frappier method. Im going to begin training at a place called Acceleration, where they personally train me to be faster and stronger. The whole concept actually revolves around a treadmill, its pretty crazy. It can go up to 26mph, which IS sub 10 pace haha. Also it goes on inclines of up to 40 deg. The idea is to increase foot speed, stride length, and knee drive. I tried it once, and it was pretty crazy. But they spot you on the treadmill so you dont wipeout, cause those things are going FAST. They also have some start of the art plyo machines for explosion. So im really excited. Why am I doing this you ask? Its because Ill do whatever it takes to succeed. Ill do whatever it takes to cross that finish line before everyone else, and Ill do whatever it takes to live to my bodys potential.

I dont have much time left to prove to myself that I can succeed in this sport. I have two years tops to do it, and it needs to start right now. My motto for these next two years should be "whatever it takes", because I wasnt born with unbelievable talent, blazing speed, or the gas tank of an alan webb. I have to work for what I have. All i have to run and train on is heart. And I am going use it to its fullest extent.

So monday i begin my finals steps til track starts up for real, and then the journey can begin. Its gonna be alot of fun, and alot of work, but I know in the end, it will all have been worth it.

About me, again.

Hey everyone! My name is Mike, and this is not the first time I made a trackshark blog. I had one a few years ago, and lost track of the blog, myself, and my life. My training was going downhill, as were many things in my life. Last year, I fractured a vertebra in my spine (probably from lifting), and I was given 2 options. #1. do nothing, just let it be, but I will not be able to run again. #2. Have a spinal fusion performed, and possibly be able to run at full strength within a year. Well, since never running again to me is not an option, I went with #2.

For the 3 months prior to my surgery, I went through intense physical therapy to strengthen my back muscles because recovery from a spinal fusion is extremely hard. For those who do not know what a spinal fusion is, it is when they graft artificial bone to  the fractured vertebra, and fuse it with another one, thereby making the fractured one basically nonexistant to the body. You lose some flexibility, but the pain is supposed to subside.

So after the surgery, I couldnt walk for 6 days, then after 2 weeks i began my 6 months of rehab, working day in and day out to come back. It wasnt until at least march til I finally felt like I made the right decision to have this surgery.

Here I am now, 2 years removed from my last blog here on trackshark, once again filled with hopes and dreams of a successful track future. I hope to have 2 more years of eligibilty due to a medical redshirt, I have not had a season without major injury since junior year h.s. This is why I continue to fight, continue to push through failure, because I truly dont know my potential. I cant give up without knowing what could have been, what I could have done.............and what I am capable of.

Heres to hope.

...Heres to chasing a dream.