One more day in Korea and we close the shop and head home. The real world.
the Korean Air Force have been running sorties all day, if you have ever been near a fighter jet you know how loud they are. and they are fast too. an amazing sight to see them take off.
we went to the shops today, and as is the tradition here, the evisu store got the most attention. I thought about buying a couple of pair and selling them back home, but losing my check card solved that issue.
For all of you back home, evisu cost $100 on the high end here. So next time you see someone in the States sporting some evisu's they bought for $300 just chuckle.
The irony of closing this season is I have a full crew here. About 5 athletes.
whatever you do, VOTE!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Just DJ
when im alone in my room sometimes i stare at the walls/and in the back of my mind i hear my conscious call/.... lol For all you youngsters out there that is some classic LL Cool J.
It is 6AM in Shanghai and out side is the thickest humidity I have ever seen. if we were in LA of Beijing most would mistakenly call it smog, but I know it is the atmosphere. looks like fog too.
i have to say, there is nothing better than being in a hotel that is the track. Zurich is around the corner, but this hotel is the track. Go down to the lobby walk through a door and there is the track. too bad this meet is so far away and at the end of the year.
so it is at an end. as a friend said so eloquently, it is the paper chase folks. very few are serious, even less have done a training session in weeks lol
so the election is coming, day after my birthday, yessir. Obama will win. and then we will see what the country is really about. economic crisis, bad politics, and a lack of foresight dominate the US right now. as in everything in life it is reaching its high water mark and we as a people have to do something.
in track folks are starting to realize we have to raise our game professionally. the politics in our sport are dirtier than the presidential race. cries of corruption, open attacks on high performance from the new CEO, and old stars doing NOTHING to bolster the profile of the sport, of the athletes.
athletes, get to Reno our continue to suffer the consequences of indifference and non participation in the business end of what you do.
on a lighter note, it is amazing to watch Tasha go through her new stardom. we talk about it and dream about it, but to actual achieve the medal and become a national icon is a different animal altogether. the reality hit like a ton of bricks. her old teachers, her classmates, her everybody want to acknowledge their connection to her. just makes me smile and laugh. this is forever, she will forever be an Olympic bronze medalist. yessir
this room is off the chain. the Chinese have a great mind for sexiness in designs. the showers and bath tubs all have windows, you can choose to cover them or leave them open and see your room and outside the huge windows to the city. it is like taking a shower out side, not in a corner like it feels at home.
It is 6AM in Shanghai and out side is the thickest humidity I have ever seen. if we were in LA of Beijing most would mistakenly call it smog, but I know it is the atmosphere. looks like fog too.
i have to say, there is nothing better than being in a hotel that is the track. Zurich is around the corner, but this hotel is the track. Go down to the lobby walk through a door and there is the track. too bad this meet is so far away and at the end of the year.
so it is at an end. as a friend said so eloquently, it is the paper chase folks. very few are serious, even less have done a training session in weeks lol
so the election is coming, day after my birthday, yessir. Obama will win. and then we will see what the country is really about. economic crisis, bad politics, and a lack of foresight dominate the US right now. as in everything in life it is reaching its high water mark and we as a people have to do something.
in track folks are starting to realize we have to raise our game professionally. the politics in our sport are dirtier than the presidential race. cries of corruption, open attacks on high performance from the new CEO, and old stars doing NOTHING to bolster the profile of the sport, of the athletes.
athletes, get to Reno our continue to suffer the consequences of indifference and non participation in the business end of what you do.
on a lighter note, it is amazing to watch Tasha go through her new stardom. we talk about it and dream about it, but to actual achieve the medal and become a national icon is a different animal altogether. the reality hit like a ton of bricks. her old teachers, her classmates, her everybody want to acknowledge their connection to her. just makes me smile and laugh. this is forever, she will forever be an Olympic bronze medalist. yessir
this room is off the chain. the Chinese have a great mind for sexiness in designs. the showers and bath tubs all have windows, you can choose to cover them or leave them open and see your room and outside the huge windows to the city. it is like taking a shower out side, not in a corner like it feels at home.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
DJ giving props
DO you did your thing! Good job.
Christine O. Commonwealth, World and Olympic champion. The trifecta and they still do not get it.
Tasha D. way to pull it together baby. The heart and soul of my group, thanks for letting me spin the records for your party.
Ryan Wilson way to do the grunt work this summer. Nothing went how we wanted but you pulled out an entire season.
JKwayke wow! what a year for you. Silver indoors and an Olympic final.
Tyrone E GB, man way to go. first you crawl then you walk then you run! 10.06 and the semis. Last Brit standing. And he ran some of the best second legs I have seen in a while
Wallace my man was going through some things this summer, and he still came through for third whenver he needed it! Get right, the talent is there for sure
Lashawn just crashed the party. A couple of 43s and a gold medal. not a bad nights work.
Dayron is the man. amazing year. And we are coming for ya!
Dawn Harper! What can I say? From knee surgery to start the SPRING to the top of the podium. Niceness
Lolo that run to win trials is historic. that was fast, period.
Tyson Gay is an alien
Usain Bolt is from Mars. I want his dna checked, he is not human. I have seen things in the last 6 weeks to fill a lifetime from him. And he is 22!
Gotta go play some music.... be back
Christine O. Commonwealth, World and Olympic champion. The trifecta and they still do not get it.
Tasha D. way to pull it together baby. The heart and soul of my group, thanks for letting me spin the records for your party.
Ryan Wilson way to do the grunt work this summer. Nothing went how we wanted but you pulled out an entire season.
JKwayke wow! what a year for you. Silver indoors and an Olympic final.
Tyrone E GB, man way to go. first you crawl then you walk then you run! 10.06 and the semis. Last Brit standing. And he ran some of the best second legs I have seen in a while
Wallace my man was going through some things this summer, and he still came through for third whenver he needed it! Get right, the talent is there for sure
Lashawn just crashed the party. A couple of 43s and a gold medal. not a bad nights work.
Dayron is the man. amazing year. And we are coming for ya!
Dawn Harper! What can I say? From knee surgery to start the SPRING to the top of the podium. Niceness
Lolo that run to win trials is historic. that was fast, period.
Tyson Gay is an alien
Usain Bolt is from Mars. I want his dna checked, he is not human. I have seen things in the last 6 weeks to fill a lifetime from him. And he is 22!
Gotta go play some music.... be back
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
DJ back in the Booth
What a summer!
Bolt destroys all notions concerning sprinting.
Asafa remains the same, albeit, a little faster. He is the most prolific sprinter in history. Too bad Bolt will surpass him soon, barring injury.
Veronica Campbell has one of the fastest seasons ever and does not even step foot on the track in Beijing for the 100. Jamaica still swept the event.
What in the world is going on with US sprinting? This is the question on people's lips. The answer is really simple. Nothing. All the pieces are there, injuries got in the way. Simple as that. Matter of fact US sprinting was better this year than last year overall, but since Tyson went down and the women were swept in the 100 and the relays dropped the stick, something must be wrong. Naw, nothing is wrong.
Barack Obama is on the verge of winning the White House. But first, he has become the first black presidential candidate to win a nomination. First Obama then 19.30. 2 things folks said we would not see in our lifetime.
On to 2012. And all of the UK is in a panic. LOL You would think they won the "get bombed" lottery the way they are acting. 2012 is an opportunity for the UK to shine, so far they have just proven the British stereotype of cynicism. The stadiums are over budget, there is not enough housing, they have no sprinters, there are no track athletes capable of medaling in 2012. LOL Full panic mode over there.
I read on a message board where someone said Tasha should run for 2 more years then step aside for the younger athletes to have a chance in 2012. And they are serious. She should LET them have a chance. This is about competing. Those youngsters need to step up.
Track is like the wilderness, you want to rule the pack you have to step up and challenge the leader and beat the leader. Period. You want someone out of your way you have to beat them.
Jaden started school this week, Pre - K. He is three and doing addition. Amazing.
Football season has started, what could be better.
I went to see Babylon AD. Terrible movie. It is edited with the assumption that the watcher knows the story already. I have no idea what I watched in the end or what it was supposed to mean.
In case you missed it, Tasha won a bronze medal. I am still happy.
Now on to the newbies, time to get them started. And I cannot wait. 2 weeks
Bolt destroys all notions concerning sprinting.
Asafa remains the same, albeit, a little faster. He is the most prolific sprinter in history. Too bad Bolt will surpass him soon, barring injury.
Veronica Campbell has one of the fastest seasons ever and does not even step foot on the track in Beijing for the 100. Jamaica still swept the event.
What in the world is going on with US sprinting? This is the question on people's lips. The answer is really simple. Nothing. All the pieces are there, injuries got in the way. Simple as that. Matter of fact US sprinting was better this year than last year overall, but since Tyson went down and the women were swept in the 100 and the relays dropped the stick, something must be wrong. Naw, nothing is wrong.
Barack Obama is on the verge of winning the White House. But first, he has become the first black presidential candidate to win a nomination. First Obama then 19.30. 2 things folks said we would not see in our lifetime.
On to 2012. And all of the UK is in a panic. LOL You would think they won the "get bombed" lottery the way they are acting. 2012 is an opportunity for the UK to shine, so far they have just proven the British stereotype of cynicism. The stadiums are over budget, there is not enough housing, they have no sprinters, there are no track athletes capable of medaling in 2012. LOL Full panic mode over there.
I read on a message board where someone said Tasha should run for 2 more years then step aside for the younger athletes to have a chance in 2012. And they are serious. She should LET them have a chance. This is about competing. Those youngsters need to step up.
Track is like the wilderness, you want to rule the pack you have to step up and challenge the leader and beat the leader. Period. You want someone out of your way you have to beat them.
Jaden started school this week, Pre - K. He is three and doing addition. Amazing.
Football season has started, what could be better.
I went to see Babylon AD. Terrible movie. It is edited with the assumption that the watcher knows the story already. I have no idea what I watched in the end or what it was supposed to mean.
In case you missed it, Tasha won a bronze medal. I am still happy.
Now on to the newbies, time to get them started. And I cannot wait. 2 weeks
Friday, August 29, 2008
On the road
So I have a bronze medal now. I am an Olympic medal coach, thank you very much. It feels great, and the better part is the medalist is my wife too. Could not have come at a better time.
So I am sitting in the lobby in Zurich. For track junkies this is the place to be, anyone you want to see will walk through this lobby.
My girl Dawn just smacked in my ear with a chicken kebab. LOL She vows to never change, and she is sticking to it.
Bolt is a 21 year old kid. Unlike some other stars that never leave their rooms he is a constant sight moving through the lobby. The kid just enjoys himself, it is nice to watch.
The beauty of track is seemingly benign conversations are business meetings. All the big meet promoters are here. All the agents are here. I love this sport.
Tonight is the beginning of the second half. I have David Neville and a secret athlete lol, but for the most part I get to just be a fan tonight. Have some fun and then hit the road early in the morning. Gateshead is Sunday, Lausanne is Tuesday (finally making to the Alps), and Brussels on Friday. I really love this stuff.
On the 8th Jaden starts preschool!!!!! Now that's real.
My oldest son Ricky is a fireman officially. Just started with a station this week. I am so proud of him.
So I am sitting in the lobby in Zurich. For track junkies this is the place to be, anyone you want to see will walk through this lobby.
My girl Dawn just smacked in my ear with a chicken kebab. LOL She vows to never change, and she is sticking to it.
Bolt is a 21 year old kid. Unlike some other stars that never leave their rooms he is a constant sight moving through the lobby. The kid just enjoys himself, it is nice to watch.
The beauty of track is seemingly benign conversations are business meetings. All the big meet promoters are here. All the agents are here. I love this sport.
Tonight is the beginning of the second half. I have David Neville and a secret athlete lol, but for the most part I get to just be a fan tonight. Have some fun and then hit the road early in the morning. Gateshead is Sunday, Lausanne is Tuesday (finally making to the Alps), and Brussels on Friday. I really love this stuff.
On the 8th Jaden starts preschool!!!!! Now that's real.
My oldest son Ricky is a fireman officially. Just started with a station this week. I am so proud of him.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Beijing was a success
Any of you reading that knows me knows Tasha walked away with a bronze medal! Let me talk about that for a few ticks. Uhm, where am I with this? Absolutely, chuffed as my wife says. It is very good feeling when a plan comes together.
We had a long summer and only through the power of the mind and God's grace did this thing turn out successful. From an achilles issue in May to a hamstring strains throughout the summer, we did not have the smoothest of journeys. The beauty was her fitness base was superb and surprisingly sustained her through the whole summer. She never lost her fitness or strength, which meant all we had to do was get to the line healthy and hope her body was back in balance.
The results speak for themselves. It was a pleasure to watch her run around the track in full control and at the level we have always believed she could run at. It was tiring through the years watching women run times and win that were not more talented than Tasha. She has all the talent in her to do the things she dreams about. This medal was one of them. She is a part of history now, an Olympic medalist. As I always say, medals are forever. No one can change the result of that race. And she ran 53 seconds.
The funny part was she ran after Bolt's historic 19.30 and by the time I got to the mixed zone I had forgotten all about his run. Someone came up to me asking me what I thought about the race, and I really thought they were asking me about Tasha. LOL
In short, Bolt's run was mind blowing. Unlike MJ, who was a product of a moment, Mr. Bolt set out to run that fast. Can you imagine getting in the blocks thinking, "I am trying to run faster than 19.32!" Wow, that must be a helluva a feeling to have.
His display in the 100 was jaw dropping, and that's all I can say about that. Wait until Zurich, we may see a 9.5x.
I will blog on the relays later, lots to say there but I promise you it is not what most of you think. Back to cloud nine, I am happy as a clam. :)
We had a long summer and only through the power of the mind and God's grace did this thing turn out successful. From an achilles issue in May to a hamstring strains throughout the summer, we did not have the smoothest of journeys. The beauty was her fitness base was superb and surprisingly sustained her through the whole summer. She never lost her fitness or strength, which meant all we had to do was get to the line healthy and hope her body was back in balance.
The results speak for themselves. It was a pleasure to watch her run around the track in full control and at the level we have always believed she could run at. It was tiring through the years watching women run times and win that were not more talented than Tasha. She has all the talent in her to do the things she dreams about. This medal was one of them. She is a part of history now, an Olympic medalist. As I always say, medals are forever. No one can change the result of that race. And she ran 53 seconds.
The funny part was she ran after Bolt's historic 19.30 and by the time I got to the mixed zone I had forgotten all about his run. Someone came up to me asking me what I thought about the race, and I really thought they were asking me about Tasha. LOL
In short, Bolt's run was mind blowing. Unlike MJ, who was a product of a moment, Mr. Bolt set out to run that fast. Can you imagine getting in the blocks thinking, "I am trying to run faster than 19.32!" Wow, that must be a helluva a feeling to have.
His display in the 100 was jaw dropping, and that's all I can say about that. Wait until Zurich, we may see a 9.5x.
I will blog on the relays later, lots to say there but I promise you it is not what most of you think. Back to cloud nine, I am happy as a clam. :)
Saturday, August 9, 2008
DJ from the Booth
The Games started in spectacular fashion. The Opening ceremony was great. This is the first time I have come to the Games and not gone to the ceremony. I encouraged all the first timers to go, but a lot of them took this experience for granted, and that is too bad. A huge part of this time is doing the ceremonies and the like. The Olympic experience is special and if you do not experience the little stuff, it is just a big track meet, and that is a tragedy.
In 2000 it was weird for me, I was with the Saudi team. So it was like Halloween for me in certain respects as I dressed in traditional Saudi gear. Then we walked in the Stadium and it was special. I was looking up at 100,000 fans and dignitaries, and then there was the realization that millions of people were watching, including my family. Find the TV cameras so they can see you! And then I had a marvelous thought, I was an Olympian. For my whole life I had associated being an Olympian with US trials and making the top three. not once had I ever thought about the coaches and officials that were a part of the team. Well it hit me the minute I walked out of the tunnel and onto the track. It is something I will always remember.
So fast forward to now. Phelps has already shattered a wr. China has already won a gold. Looks like everything is in order.
The IOC should be ashamed of itself for changing the swim schedule so the US audience could watch the finals live. I am not a fan of the amateur ideal that permeates the Games, but I am a fan of sanctity. We cannot afford to have TV circumventing the athletes. Phelps did well, but it is important to realize their semi final was last night and their final this morning. That is a dangerous precedent.
Sadly, 2 tragic things happened yesterday. Bernie Mac died and some psycho killed an innocent man in Beijing who came to watch volleyball. He was the father in law of one of the coaches. One was tragic because reports were Bernie Mac was stable. The other was tragic because it is senseless and maddening. A definite knock on the Games and China.
I promise you only in swimming is the 4x100 relay on the second day of competition.
Now I am off to laugh about the fact that I have yet to go to a Games as an American. LOL
In 2000 it was weird for me, I was with the Saudi team. So it was like Halloween for me in certain respects as I dressed in traditional Saudi gear. Then we walked in the Stadium and it was special. I was looking up at 100,000 fans and dignitaries, and then there was the realization that millions of people were watching, including my family. Find the TV cameras so they can see you! And then I had a marvelous thought, I was an Olympian. For my whole life I had associated being an Olympian with US trials and making the top three. not once had I ever thought about the coaches and officials that were a part of the team. Well it hit me the minute I walked out of the tunnel and onto the track. It is something I will always remember.
So fast forward to now. Phelps has already shattered a wr. China has already won a gold. Looks like everything is in order.
The IOC should be ashamed of itself for changing the swim schedule so the US audience could watch the finals live. I am not a fan of the amateur ideal that permeates the Games, but I am a fan of sanctity. We cannot afford to have TV circumventing the athletes. Phelps did well, but it is important to realize their semi final was last night and their final this morning. That is a dangerous precedent.
Sadly, 2 tragic things happened yesterday. Bernie Mac died and some psycho killed an innocent man in Beijing who came to watch volleyball. He was the father in law of one of the coaches. One was tragic because reports were Bernie Mac was stable. The other was tragic because it is senseless and maddening. A definite knock on the Games and China.
I promise you only in swimming is the 4x100 relay on the second day of competition.
Now I am off to laugh about the fact that I have yet to go to a Games as an American. LOL
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