Motivation

It's not always easy training on my own. There is something to be said about participating in a team sport where your fellow teammates can provide a source of support and competitive motivation.

Today was one of those days where the motivation was definitely lacking-my mind and body decided to stay in bed. I warmed up on the stationary bike for about twenty minutes while watching a Tupac Shakur movie on my own personal tv, which was hooked up to the front of my bike. It's an amazing club with all sorts of amenities, but today I needed a change of pace.

After I got off the bike, stretched and did some exercises, I realized that I was yawning. It was such a nice day outside and here I am just sitting on a stationary bike. I knew I had to do a better workout than peddling in place and watching Tupac Shakur (although I found out he actually went to a performing arts school, is extremely religious, and his mother was a Black Panther-who knew?)

Twenty minutes later I'm outside on the East High School track across the street from the fencing club. I didn't expect anyone to be out at the track in the middle of the day, but low and behold there were about eight, ten to twelve year old kids suited up in full football gear doing some type of sit-up exercise while their pot-bellied coach was yelling at them.

I recently broke my iPod so I had to run around the track while listening to this coach yell things to these poor ten year olds-"WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU ON? I CAN'T HEAR YOU? WHAT? WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU?!!!" (May I suggest a hearing aid because I clearly heard that they were on number five.) So I made it around the track to complete a mile and decided to do some stairs after that. I spent a good forty-five minutes out there sweating in the sun, jumping and running up and down stairs, taking some turns on the track, and doing some plyometrics for good measure.

All the while I am listening to this coach yell at the kids-nothing too terrible but I thought, this reminds me of my old coach and how can these kids stand it anymore?

But then the revelation.

These kids were doing a stair run so I got a chance to see them up close. They were dressed in random football padding and clothes, some of the kids had no shoes on and the other's had shoes that were barely holding themselves together. I wish you could have seen these kids with their helmets on-I think they were running with their heads on their shoulders just to bear the weight of it all.

What stuck with me the most was the determination these kids had on their faces. Some of them didn't have helmets so I could see their faces clearly. The look in their eyes was sharp, focused, and a bit fierce. I remember that look.

Then right as they were finishing their last steps I saw three older kids-about fourteen come towards the track. These kids were the stereotypical "kids from the wrong side of the neighborhood". This group didn't have shirts on, pants were slung dangerously low, and they were smoking a blunt.

Being there was almost like watching the Tupac Shakur movie or some after school special where they talk about how good kids can go wrong. Does anyone remember the D.A.R.E. program?

I know this is ultimately going to be the biggest cliche, but even though this coach was yelling at them, even though they may not have had shoes on, even though they were wearing football pads in the middle of the summer heat, there was motivation to bound up the steps and do those sit-ups. The hope is that these kids will use sport as a tool to change their lives and motivate them to pursue something greater than their surroundings.

I really enjoyed training outside today and doing the exercises my friend calls the "raw sports shit". I'm humbled by my dose of reality and I wish to have half the fight and determination that these kids have.

Meanwhile on the job front. I've given up on the mayor. I've given up on trying to pursue anything political while training. I am contemplating getting a job at a coffee shop during the afternoons or substitute teaching when school starts. The bottomline, I need a job otherwise I can't afford to pay for any of my bills and that, my friends, is my take on the "raw sports shit".