Time Flies

Well, I did not run as well as I wanted to this past Saturday at my Cross Country meet. I ran about a minute and a half slower than what I wanted to do, and, as a result, I think my season is done. I did not make the top seven (which I knew I wouldn't), and this last race just punctuated the situation. I can't get too down on myself because no one ran spectacular on Saturday, but I still wanted to show everyone that I certainly deserved to be at that meet by running awesome. But, even though my season is over, I am thankful that I got to participate in the meet, and now I will enjoy some much needed time off.

It's amazing how time flies. No, seriously, think about it. It seems just like a month ago that we got off for summer break and I was getting ready to begin another summer of rigorous training for cross country. I trained very hard and really enjoyed my summer, and now, the culmination of my hard work (my participation in the GLVC conference meet on Saturday) has come and gone. Wow. The five month journey is over. It's kind of shocking; it really is. I am somewhat speechless because I have a week or two off to recover from all the pounding and stress from the season, and I will be doing nothing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I plan on getting a lot of schoolwork done, but it's just going to be weird being away from my team while they train to run deeper into the "post season," per se, of collegiate distance running.

But, even though this feeling is bitter sweet, I am satisfied with how the season went. Granted, i wanted to run a lot better, but I worked really hard and I had fun with my teammates. I knew that I never was going to be a Steve Prefontaine or what not, but I sacrificed just like my teammates did. To be honest, I really think that I will enjoy this recovery period in a few days, after the realization that my collegiate cross country eligibility is finished. Now I can just relax and focus on being a college student and getting a job. I mean, that's what I am here for, right?

Gotta Love Saturdays

This weekend could be good for a variety of reasons:

1. I am competing at our conference cross country meet. I am definitely excited, and I have a shot at improving my 5-mile time by almost a minute. Hopefully that happens. If it does, I will be on cloud nine for a good three or four days. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time.

2. Homecoming is on Saturday. We should be getting back from our meet around 12 or 1 considering the fact that it is in Indianapolis and the drive is about an hour and a half. So the plan is to get back, take a shower, and hit up the Beer and Brat tent, and potentially walk on the field at half time because I will be homecoming king. But I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I think I can just expect to have fun anyway.

3. The festivities after the Homecoming football game will be great because I will get to hang out with a bunch of alumni and really share in a good time with my friends for one of the last times of my senior year. Hopefully everyone is safe!

4. We could have practice off on Sunday and Monday. So I definitely plan on sleeping in!

5. I want to get my Halloween costume sometime this weekend as well. I am thinking Borat or one of the Reservoir Dogs. Thoughts anyone?

Vindicated!

For once in my life, I can honestly say that I stood up for myself came out on top. And it really wasn't that painful!

Last Thursday, our cross country coach listed off the individuals who were going to travel to compete in this weekend's Great Lakes Valley Conference Cross Country Championship. Knowing that I had worked hard over the whole summer and that coach never said directly that he was going to travel only seven individuals, I was confident that I was going to travel with the team to this meet. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with cross country, you need seven runners to compete in a race; the top five score, and the other two serve as back-ups in case someone in the top five chokes or just has a bad race.) So when practice rolled around and coach listed off the names of the individuals, I kept listening attentively until I would hear my name, and then breathe with a sigh of relief. Well, that moment never came. I was speechless. I had a feeling that maybe he might make cuts for the travel squad for the meet, but I knew that more than likely he would travel me because I busted my ass off in practice every day. I waited for him to potentially correct himself by saying "Oh yah, and I almost forgot you Coz!", but that didn't happen either.

Needless to say, when we began our lite run for the evening, I kind of went off on my own. How could this happen to me? Even though coach was traveling eight individuals instead of seven, the seventh and eighth man on the team were so close in practice and in races that he needed to wait one more meet before he made the final cuts for the NCAA regional meet (at conference meets, you can run at least nine individuals in the race). I was the odd man out, at least that is what I believed. I felt so cold and alone, and I just wanted to feel sorry for myself.

Luckily, one of my fellow teammates, Cory, caught up with me on the run and acknowledged the fact that I was one of the hardest workers on the team and that I certainly deserved to compete at our conference meet. He also suggested that I go and talk to coach about the situation; I really had nothing to lose.

So the next morning, I went into coach's office, and stated my case. Much to my delight, coach recognized that I was one of the hardest workers on the men's team and that "in his heart," he wanted me to go, but, "as an administrator," he had to draw a line, especially when it came to budget issues and the like with the athletic department. So I told him I understood and thanked him for the opportunity for the past three years to let me run cross country and how much the sport has changed my life. After it was all said and done, coach said that he would have a decision for me later that day at practice.

When practice rolled around, I did not decide to address the issue because I wanted to wait until after Saturday's workout for him to change his mind. Saturday was going to be a challenging day, considering the fact that we were doing repeat miles on the track (4). Thank God, I had a great workout that day, and coach even gave me a compliment. I tried asking him again about his final decision, but I spoke so softly that he didn't hear me, and so I decided to wait until Monday's practice because Monday was going to be a moderate type of workout.

So after Monday's practice, I finally went up to coach and asked him what his final decision was. "Yah, you're going." Justice had been served! It was an awesome feeling, and I let out a yelp of jubilation when no one was looking. My hard work and confidence worked out for me, and now I will be counting down the hours until the gun goes off at 8:30 on Saturday morning.

The bottom line is that sometimes I think God reminds us that we are in control of our own destiny. Even though some things may not work out the way we want them to, we should still try our best to do what we think is right if we believe we are being short-changed. I did that, and it paid off. Thanks Coach Massoels! You won't be disappointed.

Renovations and Pearl Jam

I am currently sitting in the newly-renovated library basement, and I think it looks awesome. It looks totally differently; I feel like I am in a public library in downtown Columbus or any other semi-important city in the midwest. The lighting down here is great, there is air conditioning, and if you really want to get some work done, it is very quiet (I think because a majority of students are stilll not aware that it is open to the public now).

Regardless, this new library speaks volumes (pun intended) about the direction that the Joe is headed. Even though it will probably not get all completed on time, the renovations here at the College should get anyone excited, even those seniors who are leaving soon. I love the new football stadium. The wrought-iron gate encompassing it is nothing that special but still gives the field a new look. The new offices up in the Scharf Fieldhouse look like they will be quite accomodating for athletic personnel. The theatre looks magnificent, especially with the new chairs and murals on the walls. Noll Hall looks more like a hotel than a 50-year-old dorm, and even Merlini has begun to eliminate its "forgotten child" look to it with the drop ceiling and new carpet.

Granted, SJC still has a long way to go before I would recommend it to 100 of my personal friends (particularly because of the administrative personnel and student-advisor issues), but I think it is getting a whole lot better than when I first stepped foot on campus three years ago.


Now for a random note, I just had that "Hearts and Thoughts" song by Pearl Jam stuck in my head all day. Yeah, I know that is not the actual title of the song, but it sounds short and sweet. So I uploaded it for your personal enjoyment (kudos to Youtube)!

Job Security

Yikes! It's already October of my senior year of college, and I still don't have a clear-cut idea about what I want to do when I get out of the Joe. I mean, I know I want to do something in Sports Information at a Division I institution, but who knows if that idea will ever come to fruition. The bottom line is that I need to get rolling on some things!

I have a feeling that I am never really going to fully appreciate the Joe until after I leave. I say that because it has flown by sooo fast. I remember what one of my mother's friends told me when I had graduated from high school: that college flies by. Boy, was she right. I have enjoyed my time here, but the really scary thing is wondering what I am going to do when I leave this place. It's scary because you strive towards understanding a particular discipline in college, but you may not fully use your understanding of that discipline in your final career as an adult in the real world. It's that uncertainty of the future that is weird.

But I guess instead of being worried about the future and what job I am going to fulfill six months down the road, I just need to worry about what I've accomplished today. Although that is easier said than done, its crucial for me to realize that if I want to enjoy these next few months. I have been blessed with great friends and a spectacular opportunities to be involved on campus. Life is definitely a roller coaster ride, and it will throw you off if you don't hold on tight (all apologies to Darryl Worley).

*Picture above extrapolated from http://artfiles.art.com

Sports Can Actually Mean Something

( http://www.gazette.com/pictures/1191343346-0rockiesslide.jpg)

Ah, the playoffs are finally here! The World Series is only two weeks away. I am pumped! I have been waiting for this for the past two months, and now I can just smell, through my television screen, the stitchings on a baseball. The intensity is even more than it was during the regular season, and there is so much on the table. I love it!

A good friend of mine once said that he was really unaffected by what happened in the world of sports, and for good reason. I mean, what does it matter to my friend, a senior in college, if the Colorado Rockies win 15 of their last 16 games and make the playoffs? He still has to go to class, and, at the end of the day, his life will probably remain the same.

But to me, what happens in the world of sports can have a significant impact on what goes on in my daily life. Granted, sports are definitely low on the totem pole, far below God, family, friends and such. But what happens on the grid iron, court, or diamond, can do enough to cheer me up when I'm feeling down and give me hope that sometimes, the cards can be dealt in favor of the "good guy," the home team. I feel a person connection with that home team, cause I feel I am that "good guy" who will one day achieve his great purpose in life.

In recent memory, there have been two instances where the outcome of a sports contest lifted up my spirits. The first was on New Year's Day 2007, when Boise State upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. That particular evening, I was upset because I found out that one of the girls I liked was no longer single. My spirits were low, I was stunned, and I did not know what to do. However, watching Boise State miraculously come back and beat Oklahoma pumped me up, and it made the situation I was in easier to digest, and, eventually, I got over it.

The second instance was just this past Monday, when the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres in dramatic, 13-inning fashion. Earlier that evening, I came to the conclusion that Zora, the girl I liked, really was not interested in me. I was kind of bummed, and was in a position of uncertainty. I decided to watch the game on television to try to liven up. I thought the Rockies were going to lose after being down two at the top of the 14th inning, but their comeback was downright awesome and somehow inspired me to put forth my best efforts in all that I do and not be discouraged by the troubles of women.

Looking Young

I've pretty much accepted the fact that I look like I am 12 years old. Well, wait a minute...I'll give myself some credit. 16. That at least puts me in the teens. At first glance, one would say that I have a long way to go before I am 22 and can walk with pride into a bar or pub, ready to mingle with disgruntled sports fans or some very beautiful women. I cannot deny the fact that I look young for my age. A few years back (even as recent as a few months ago...), I grew frustrated with the fact that I looked about six years younger than I actually was. I would grind my teeth with angst as a fast food worker or even a senile, old person would call me "boy." I HATED that.

I remember when I was on Spring Break last year. I was sitting on a bus to take me back to the Cancun airport, and I was seated behind a couple of assholes. The duo, a man and woman, had their seats cocked back as far as they could. At first, I did not feel like saying anything, because I was the only person on that bus who had two seats to himself and my seating arrangement behind these two people did not bother me that much. That is, until we arrived at the airport. I had taken a nap and, upon waking up to get off the bus, the man in the seats in front of me said, "Someone needs to wake this boy up." I did not think much of his comment then, but about five minutes after I got off the bus, I was royally pissed. That guy was an asshole--he really was! Not only did he feel that he was king of the world by putting his seats as far back as possible so he could situatehimself, he decided to make a comment about me. I wish I would have said something to him! From that moment on, I was on a mission to not be second-guessed because of my youthful visage.

For the most part, I have not been hasseled as much as I thought for looking young, especially when I go into bars down in Lafayette or in Chicago. On occasion I might get a smart-aleck comment or dubious stare from a drunken idiot inside a bar, but I have been pleased with how I have been viewed in the social scene. In fact, some of my friends have a harder time getting into bars and clubs than I do, and they look much older...especially with their beards and expensive cologne. One specific episode I remember was from a Tigers game over the summer. My friend Paul and I went to go grab a few Bud Lights from a nearby kiosk, and, when one of the concession ladies told me she thought I looked like I was 22, that totally made my evening. I even said "God Bless You!" My self-esteem was that much better.

So I guess looking young is not all that bad. I think people are beginning to realize that if I have the intestinal fortitude to go into a bar or club, I sure as hell better be of age. And, on the bright side, I will probably look young for my age when I am 50 or 60, considering my current healthy lifestyle. But, if someone that I don't know tries to call me "boy" or sarcastically ask how old I am, I respond with some expletives or greatly exaggerate how old or young I really think they are!