Soccer on the brain

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I love playing soccer, but I’m fairly new to the competitive side of it and learning the technical/ foot skills has been a new challenge for me. This year I am excited to be on a team with great players and a great coach. I learn sports best by watching other people and then practicing like crazy. It’s how I learned to skateboard, break boards in tae kwon do, and even run.

Several weeks ago, I got to spend some time on the field with a friend and track teammate who is an exceptional soccer player. He was nice enough to give me some basic tips and practice drills to work on. I learned so much that I started practicing every day on my own. While I have gotten better, I still have a long way to go 🙂

I think the skills required to play soccer can be so helpful in other sports. I’ve noticed I am quicker on my feet and more on my toes. So fun!

Last weekend, our team played in a tournament. We played four games and ended up being finalists. I was really proud of our team and how much we’ve learned in just a short time together. I believe we will continue to get better and better and it’s just the beginning!

 

NOW = No Opportunity Wasted!

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I’m so excited to be a NOW energy bar athlete and part of a team of athletes who also live life to the max! If you’ve never heard of NOW, definitely go check them out: NOWenergybar.com

 

This picture was from the USA Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June in Arlington, Texas. I won the 1500m event and it was my last race of the season. I had a blast! Right after this picture was taken, we went straight to Six Flags for some more high energy thrills!

I’ve been having a great summer running and cross-training, getting ready for the cross-country season. I’ll be sharing more of my NOW adventures here and over on my blog at NOW.

See ya!

 

 

 

PS – In case you are wondering about my intention to break the national record in the 1500m event, I did my absolute best but was unable to do it. After my last post, I did manage to cut another second off my time, but breaking the record proved to be 1 more second out of reach. I don’t regret pushing myself to reach a higher goal. That is probably the reason I continued to PR with every race. Don’t be discouraged if you try for something and you don’t get it. There is always next time!

 

 

3.3 Seconds

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I have 3.3 seconds on my mind.

Sometimes I think- that’s so short. Some roller coaster ride drops are around that long, and I think they’re way too short. On the other hand, 3.3 seconds can seem like forever, like if you had to stand in an ice-cold shower for that long. Brrrr!

3.3 seconds…

Last weekend, I ran a new personal best time in the 1500m run at the LA Jets Track and Field Invitational. I reached my goal for the season which was to beat 4:47 by running 4:46.97. Since I had been working really hard and getting faster each week, I was really happy and proud of myself.

When I saw the official results, I discovered an interesting fact: the national record which was set back in 2005, is 4:43.70. And I realized…

3.3 seconds is how far I am from breaking the national record.

AND I REALLY WANT TO DO IT.

So, as it turns out, I reached my original goal and already have a new one in place. There are only a few more weeks left in the season and I know they will be difficult and painful. I am choosing to believe that in this case, 3.3 seconds is on the short side and I’m going to go for it 200%. Everything I’ve been doing is going to get taken up another several notches. I’m ready for it and I’m excited about the possibilities.

I have a new motto: Train insane or remain the same.

Until next time…

 

 

 

 

The “Field”

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I am just starting my 2nd season of Track and Field where my usual events are the 1500m run and the 800m run. This year I wanted to add the Field part of Track and Field to my schedule.

I decided to try the Long Jump. I have no training in it, but who cares? It is sooooo fun! All you have to do is run up to a white line and make sure that your foot doesn’t pass it when you take off (otherwise the jump doesn’t count.) Your goal is to jump as far as you can. You get 3 tries and they take your longest distance.

It sounds pretty simple, right? The idea of it is, but it can be hard to make sure your foot doesn’t go past the white line. You want to get as close as possible to the edge, though, so you don’t lose any distance in your jump. And you want to run fast so you have a lot of momentum going into the jump. Finally, you don’t want to fall backwards when you land because they measure from the first body part marked in the sand. So if you fall back onto your hand, they’ll measure to there instead of to where your foot landed. It’s a lot of things to think about and do at the same time.

These photos are from this past weekend’s meet:

I got so much sand in my ear after that jump! Ha ha ha

I’d love to hear from anyone who trains in this event. Any tips you could share with a beginner?

Results.

End of the year thoughts…

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I heard that a picture is worth a thousand words.

This picture was from an 800m race in May 2011 during the final 100 meter stretch to the finish. That’s me and my good friend, Willie. We became friends after racing against each other practically every single week during track season. He is an incredible competitor and amazing runner. I love his spirit and HEART.

I think this picture is so cool. I remember that moment very clearly.

And in the photo below, we are just being buddies 🙂 This was taken in New Orleans at the AAU Junior Olympics in August.

I was the only person from my team there and I also didn’t have my coach. It can be a little scary being all by yourself.

The cool thing was, Willie and his teammates and even his coach helped me feel less “alone” out there. It makes such a big difference when you are surrounded by thousands of competitors from all over the country.

Any familiar faces feel like home no matter whose team they’re on.

Here are a few photos from throughout the year of friends old and new who have inspired me in so many ways (that a thousand words could not even describe!):




It’s been a really fun year. I feel so lucky to have met and made so many amazing friends this year. They taught me how to win and lose gracefully, how to break through personal goals, and how to never give up. What champions! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 🙂

I wish you all a joyful and blessed new year!

 

Getting closer…

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There are only 8 more days until the USATF Junior Olympics for Cross Country. Ever since I went to Nationals last year for the first time, I decided I wanted to go back this year and see if I could do better.

So I have been working really really hard not just this Fall, but all year long.  In the Spring, I did track to help me with my speed. It was challenging towards the end of the season because I had a lot of heel pain from all of the hard pounding on my feet.

Luckily, taking 3 weeks off in August/ September before starting cross country seemed to help a lot. I also gave up competitive soccer and cut back on all my extra running at school. I stretch my calves a lot and use this bumpy roller ball on the bottom of my feet whenever I sit at my desk to do homework. I haven’t had any problems all season. Yeah!

Now it’s getting down to the final days before the big day. After Regionals, my practices have gotten much much tougher. My coaches are wanting us to “peak” at nationals. I’ve been very focused and I’ve had some amazing workouts that have surprised me. I feel strong and fast! 🙂

My biggest focus right now is on staying healthy and eating right. It’s winter time and a lot of kids are getting sick with colds and bronchitis. I am washing my hands like crazy and dressing super warm for practices. Even when I’m hot I don’t take my long sleeves off. Our practices are at night and the temperature drops a lot. I’m drinking tons of green smoothies and have been on a “candy fast” until after the Championships. And finally, I’m going to sleep early every night.

With only a few more days to go, I am getting more and more excited about the trip. This year the Junior Olympics will be in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It will be my second time to Myrtle Beach this year since I went in July for the USA Youth Outdoor Nationals for Track and Field. Back then it was like 104 degrees and it was just me and my mom- no coaches, no teammates.

This time will be much different.

I have 23 other teammates going to compete as well. I will have 3 coaches. And best of all, I will have some additional family members out there to support me. It’s going to be so fun!!!

 

Ready or Not.. It’s Time for the Turkey Trot!

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Hello everyone!

This is such a fun time of year– one of my favorites. I love Thanksgiving. My family has a Thanksgiving tradition: Every year, we participate in a road race.

Tomorrow is the annual Turkey Trot in Oceanside, CA. I am so excited! I am going to be running 1 mile. My sister is going to be running also. She is running the 1/4 mile because she is only 6 years old.

This is one of my favorite courses because it is really fast and you get to run right along the ocean.

My plan is to have a really fast start so I can get ahead of most kids, then to pace myself but not go too slow, and then sprint to the finish. I think that my plan will be successful.

Before the race I need to be focused, pumped up, get in a good warm-up, and stretch A LOT. I know I will bring my A-game and do very well.

I am also really excited for tomorrow because it is Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for the wonderful, stupendous, and terrific life I have!

I am going to eat a lot of dark meat (my favorite!) from the turkey and I will have lots of yummy fruits! I just can’t wait for the Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving!

Good-bye for now. See ya later!

 

**Post-Race Update**

My results:

Boys 9-10 yrs 1 MILE >> 1st Place << Time: 5:33 *New personal record!

Mia’s results:

Girls 6 yrs 1/4 MILE >> 2nd Place << Time: 1:47 *New personal record!

 

 


The Runner Who Didn’t Give Up

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Watching this race gives me gOoSeBuMpS. Heather Dorniden is so inspiring.

Her coach once told her, “Sometimes you don’t know if you have a next year or even a tomorrow, so just go out there and run it the best you can.”

Sounds like good advice to me. And that is what she did.

 

New Recruits!

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This past weekend was our USATF Cross Country Association race. Throughout this season, I’ve been training with only a few other boys in my Bantam division (ages 9-10 years).

One of the things I like about cross country is that even though it is a very individual sport, there is also a fun team part. At every race, your team earns a rank based on a point scoring system.

The results from the Association race determine whether you and your team will qualify for the Regional race. Then, the results from the Regional race determine whether you can qualify for the Junior Olympic Nationals.

What was really cool was just days before the Association race, I was able to gain 2 more Bantam teammates (who are friends of mine) from my school! They are great athletes and runners and I was so excited to hear that they would compete.

Without any special training at all, they came out on Sunday and ran excellent races. They are troopers because the course was very wet from rains the day before and there is a really tough hill in the middle of the course. They not only had fun, but they also helped my team qualify for Regionals which is next Sunday!

Stay tuned… Hopefully we can advance as a team to Nationals!!!

 

*Update*

We did qualify for Nationals! Unfortunately, however, not everyone could make it to Myrtle Beach so we will not be able to compete as a team 🙁 Hopefully next year we will have another shot.