Check it out!!! My picture on the back cover of the Gill Athletics 2011 Catalog!   

Always Pursuing -Mark-

Fall is here!

Well Fall is in the air, or its already here, I think it really snuck up on us here in Indiana.  The weather has been so nice for October, temps in the high 60's even this week.  The one thing I love about this time of year is the amazing colors from the leaves changing on the trees.  But the thing I look forward to most in the fall is preseason training!  Thats right training for the 2011 season has begun!  Im pretty excited because even tho fall training means pain, suffering, and hard work, it also means competition is soon to come, and i know all the hard work i put in now pays huge dividends in those comps.  It also means we are one year closer to 2012 and the London Olympics!  Now its easy for me to tell people that Im training for the Olympics, because most dont understand the concept of USA Championships or World Championships which happen every year.  But in 2011 the World Championships in August is the main goal we are training towards.  Ive never made a world champ team, i was one spot away in '09 and even tho i won USA nationals in 2010 there wasnt an outdoor championships, only indoor.  Its crazy to think that Im training right now for a meet that is about 10 months away.

Now when i say fall training is just starting i mean the real work has just started this week.  Ive been doing basic conditioning work to stay in shape since the meet in Japan.  I had to take last week off because i was so privileged to be able to have LASIK surgery done, and i cant tell you enough how awesome it is!  Boling Vision Center of Elkhart agreed to help me in my pursuit and I cant thank them enough!

We jumped right into it Monday, no messing around!  This is what my workout looked like. 

Warmup, stretching, running drills and dynamic stretching
8x30m sprints working on running mechanics
4x20m bounds
10min bike
Box Squat 4x7 @70%
Hang Clean 4x7 @70%
Lunge Squats 3x3@25%
Squat Spectrum 3x30secs  You can see details here
Hurdle Mobility
Hamstring work on Yoga Ball 4x5
12min Core switching exercises every 30 sec
Ring holds 2x60sec 
Handstands 1x60sec
Some Balance and Rehab work, and stretching

This is pretty close to what Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays look like for most of the Fall.  Tuesdays and Thursdays are a little different but not any easier.  Ill post Tuesdays workout a little later, but right now I gotta eat lunch and get over to school to workout at 1215. 
Always Pursuing -Mark-