Blogs : Joshwyn Abrams

Progress

Welcome to another blog.  Before I get into the blog, I've decided to write some rules to this sport we enjoy called track and field.  These are my "personal rules".  I may just think about writing a book. 

***Rules***

      1.  Set a goal....for what time you want to run, distance you want to throw/jump, and for what height you want to clear for the year. Don't expect to break a world record the first time you go out there on the track.  Remember you gotta crawl before you walk.   Here's an example.  Let say your a sprinter and you want to run the 100m in 10.20 seconds, and ironically your personal best is 10.75.  Start with a realistic aim, for example at your first meet just aim for 11.00 seconds and then aim for 10.95 for your next meet and as the season goes on aim for faster times.  I've noticed in high school and college track and field....Athletes times/distances remain the same all year...Let's set realistic goals for ourselves I'm included. 

     2.  Patience...This rule is for all the runners out there....Ladies and Gents....you can't rush speed....Stop trying to run a blazing time...Let it come to you. It will...... just be patient.  If you rush speed your at risk for injury and/or a slow time.

     3.  Trust In Your Coach ....This one is very simple...Trust in your coach....The coach is the person that will get you where you wanna be.  If you don't trust in your coach's workout....your wasting your time.  Make sure you talk to your coach about your goals for the season and coaches...make sure you have an open door policy for our athletes.

Now that's out of the way...A few shot outs.  I promised a couple of  folks a "national" shot out.  I still can't believe that people take time out there busy schedules to read my blogs.

Shot out time:

1.  Adam Grossman-Smoothest sprinter I've seen...I've been a fan since the college days.  I remember watching you blasting those folks at IC4a's at Boston University. Aim for the stars...you can reach them....

2.  Godson Akinnawo-It's always good seeing you.  Remember what I told you about the colleges, about the recruitment form.  Remember...get some 100meter races in...I think you should do one at each meet..... This will help with your approach for the high jump and long jump.

3.  Clifford Wong-It's always good seeing you too.  For all you athletes that need an agent..Clifford is your man.  Cliff...I'm ready to see you drop a fast time outdoors...You looked smooth out there especially that last 75 meters in the 200m.  I can tell your staying in the weight room...Keep training...see ya outdoors....Get together a team for Penns too.

***If I missed anyone...Please don't charge it to my heart...Charge it to my mind.***

Week Recap

For anyone that doesn't know...I'm writing two blogs a week.  One on Sunday and the other midway through the week.

Thursday Feb 28 2008

Again this weather is off the chain.. It was 22 degrees today.....I dread going out there sometimes, but I have times I need to hit this season.  I walked out to the track and saw cones all around the track.  I was like....what is Nigel doing...setting up a boot camp???? So I jogged over to him... So what we got today......He said "This is what your doing"..  Your sprinting 50m and then jogging 50m for two laps.  Good thing he set the cones up becaue I may of been confused.  So Dahmar and I started.....I noticed that I really didn't get any recovery time "The 50m jogg was supposed to be my recovery, but the problem was I was running so fast, by the time I broke it down...I had about 10 meters of jogging".  Afterwards I admit...I was a little winded, but I felt strong. 

Next..... I had sprint a 150m (Entire curve and half of straightway) Walk back and then sprint 100m(Entire Curve) and then Sprint 50m (On the curve)....He didn't give anytimes today...so I didn't feel obligated to meet the guerilla today. 

Walked to the weight room and worked on CORE.

Feb 29, 2008

Today was a light day......I had a meet the next day....

*Warm Up

*Stretch/Drills

*6x80m striders...working on form.

*Home

March 1st, 2008

A few weeks ago, I went on directathletics.com looking for a meet to run at to help prepare me for outdoors.  For all my bloggers, my indoor season...was slim to none.  So I had to find something.  And I found one at the sports complex in Md...This place is starting to become my turf.  It was a "last chance" meet for the college folks but it was open to unattached and club athletes.  So I texted message my folks...and let them know...there was meet there.  Only person willing to run was Twon....  So I asked Nigel weeks before the meet....."What event should I run"..... He said I don't want you to open up at the 400m... til your second outdoor meet.....So you already know what I was thinking.....Yep.....You got it...Speed.  So I signed up for the  60m and 200m. 

So prior to Sat...I'd only ran at one "real" indoor track meet. And my times were wamp wamp....7.13 prelims and 7.02 in the finals stumpling....So So terrible, but I also wasn't practicing either..... My motto for 08 is "You don't have to win every race, as long if you run a complete race".   I must admit...I was a little skeptical...I haven't touched a starting block since the last meet.

Today's aim was to react well to the gun and finished the race.  My goal was to run faster then I did the last time I ran (Remember Rule #1).  So fast  forward to my prelims...Runners on your marks...I must admit I was a little nervous....Remember 60m is not my event...Set Pow.........Reaction....Good....Drive Phase....Cool.....Form.....Aight....Finish line....No lean....Time 6.98....Nigel would say slow... but Imma say yippy...Why...because I ran faster then the last time I ran....and most importantly...The fastest time I ever ran in college in the 60m was 6.94...so that means I'm not washed up.

Fast forward to the finals.  I was feeling pretty good, although we were supposed to have a 30 minute wait....it felt more like a 10 minute wait.  So I'm in the blocks...and the only thing that in my mind is react well to the gun.  Set....Im thinking don't false start....The guns goes off...and the start was okay...it wasn't what I wanted, but I'll take anything over stumpling out the blocks....Reaction-Okay.....Drive....Excellent...Form....Good.....Finish line...No Lean... 1st place.....Time 6.92....I'm very pleased.....why because I ran faster then my the prelims and faster then what I did in college.  So that means I'm not washed up .

I ran the 200m too, well I can't say I ran it....ran it...I'll say I participated in it that even...that a better way of putting it.  Let just say everyone else started in blocks....I started standing up...I was using the 200m for practice....I told Coach Andrew Murphy that right before the race...He said just focus on form.......gone goes off....form feels good...although I almost tripped up on the last curve...The sports complex curves are so so tight...I felt great at the end of the race...I assume the weight room is paying off.  I came thru the line 22.52.  That was good enough for an overall 1st place performance.  Nigel text me later that night and told me he wanted me to run 22.2.  If he would of told me that before the race I woulda ran it....just for him.

Over Recap

I'm very pleased with my performance at the meet and this weeks practice, and I'm gearing up for outdoors.  I'm excited and looking forward to running with the stars....Great news.....  I was checking the weather channel and it's supposed to be 68 degrees this week.  I can't wait....

Thanks again for reading the blog...

Untitled Comment

1:13 AM, March 3, 2008 .. Posted by Rome

I like your rules with the exception of the 1st one.Yea its cool to have a goal but far too often people tend to chase times. People dont realize that chasing times is like trying to walk Michael Johnson down in a 4x4.

Untitled Comment

2:49 AM, March 3, 2008 .. Posted by nbonaddio

Good advice. Good luck on the comeback, we're in the same boat.

Thank Brotha

10:46 AM, March 3, 2008 .. Posted by Clifford Wong

Hey thanks for the Shout Out. It felt good to be back on the track even though the times didn't show that my joy.

I see you're progressing real good - Just remember I get first right of refusal on the agent contract.

Good job this weekend and I'm putting my team together for Penn's - What leg you want?

See you outdoors, brotha and don't let Nigel work you too hard.

Outdoor Track

5:03 PM, March 3, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I heard your running at the Delaware State Universtiy invite on the 29th of March. I can't wait to see you run. It's been like six years.