Back to where it all began!

Hey Guys! Sorry for the hiatus. The 2011 season is almost underway and I've begun my indoor training in Largo, MD. It is COLD! I've missed the east coast so much - but I did not miss the weather!

I'm training at PG Sports and Learning Complex. That place brings back memories. I won my High School Indoor National Long Jump Title here in 2001, as well as set the track record for the shuttle hurdle relay team that same year - and the record still stands! It's also the track that UMD trains at for their indoor season. So I get to see my old coaches and even some of my former teammates! Lots of history! So happy to be back!

Me with my shuttle hurdle relay squad and our coach in 2002

Lebron James has a question

Have you guys seen Lebron James’ new commercial? One word - WOW! The commercial is simple, but the message is deep. What should I do? I’m sure everybody asks themselves this question on a regular basis. However the difference between ‘everyone’ and people who are in the lime light is that the decision won’t be scrutinized by people who have absolutely nothing to do with you. People who won’t reap the benefits or suffer the consequences of the decision. It’s funny how presumptuous people can be.

Good job King James! Welcome to Miami!

I know what I want for Christmas!! Any color will do!

Halloween!!

Check out the pumpkin I carved this year! Pretty good for a first timer huh?!?! Can you guess who I channeled for inspiration for this one???

I found a website that helps you zombie-fy yourself! How creepy!!

Fear = Figment of your imagination

Many times we put so much time and effort into worrying about the unknown that we forget to live for the right now. I know I have been guilty of this, especially this year. I can be in the middle of a great trip or vacay and I find myself wondering, "Lord, when will I be able to do this again." Then I immediately pump the breaks. -PAUSE- The nerve of me to trust God only in increments. If I am to trust and believe Him, I must do it always, not just when it's easy or convenient. I am directly slapping God in the face by thinking He won’t take care of me in the future like He has done in the past. That's when I realized that fear is often a figment of my imagination.

Funny thing is - the thing you fear the most is probably what you need to worry the least. Like if your man will propose or if you will get that job. Or if your friend is really mad at you, or if you will be able to catch that sale. Trust me, if that man knows what’s best, he will lock you down forever. If that job is for you, no one else will fit it. Your friend is probably so consumed with their own lives that they forgot that you pissed them off earlier that week. And that sale will be there. You just can't worry about the unknown; you will lose strength for what you do know and what you do have.

Often times we stress over the most menial things that we forget all that we currently have been given. It almost comes off as ungrateful. Yes you want a promotion. Yes you want your own house. Yes you want a new car. Yes you want to travel. Truth of the matter is that you have what you have and you must master that. God wants to see what you will do with what you’re given. This is not to say you shouldn't desire more, but that desire shouldn't overshadow all that God has already done

I think the best thing to do is to enjoy the every moment you are in because you will never see it again. The funny thing about life is that just as soon as things can turn for the worst, it can certainly turn for the best. It's all about the journey and trusting God from faith to faith. The rest will just have to take care of itself.

Not letting fear cloud my view....

~Mel

*This excerpt has been re-posted with permission of Mel of House of Flyness. To read this article in its entirety, and other fabulous motivational blogs, please visit www.houseofflyness.blogspot.com

Workout Against Breast Cancer

300lb linebackers sporting bright pink gloves and cleats in the NFL; it must be Breast Cancer Awareness month! I salute any person who contributes to making others aware of this prevalent terminal illness that strikes so many women. Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and friends – you would be hard pressed to find someone who has not known a women who has survived or died of cancer.

Breast cancer awareness month means much more than just being aware that the disease exists, and that we need to find a cure. It is also a time to remember the preventative measures that women can take to either decrease the likelihood of being diagnosed, or ways to detect symptoms early on when it is most treatable. Women over the age of 40, or women who have a family history of breast cancer should have mammograms every 1-2years (www.womanshealth.gov ). There’s debate over how frequent a woman should have mammograms. Natural medicine enthusiasts believe that the radiation from having a mammogram will do more harm than good over a long period of time. The best line of defense is a self-exam. ALL women should perform self-exams! Any abnormalities should be brought to the attention of your Doctor as soon as possible.

Regular exercise aids in weight and stress management, and also reduces your chances for medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. But it has also been scientifically proven for all women, regardless of family medical history, that regular exercise decreases a woman’s chances of being diagnosed with cancer! One hour of exercise a day, four days a week, can reduces a women’s likelihood of getting the disease by 22% (www.cancer.gov). Some would argue that it’s the healthy weight management that actually reduces the chances of getting cancer. But er ummm….if I get to be healthy and reduce my risk, I’ll take it! Even if a woman does have cancer, her likelihood of surviving decreases if she has lead a healthy lifestyle. A 2010 study found that in African American women, vigorous exercise reduces the risk of cancer by a whopping 64%! (www.eurekalert.org)

With so many benefits for working out as a means of combating cancer, it seems highly befitting that people “Walk for the cure” each year for finding a cure. So to that I say “Walk on women! Walk on!”…preferably, for 4 or more hours per week. And if you are black, do it with vigor!

For more information, please visit www.nbcam.org 

Mini-Vegas Vacay!

Mind, body, and soul. All three are important for achieving greatness. 

I have definitely been fine tuning my body - so no issues there. I find time for a quiet 30 minutes and meditation at least once a day, my soul is nourished. Which only leaves the mind. AY-YI-YI! I can't deny it, training, eating healthy, living in an envrironment with lots of personalities, and just day-to-day nuances can make life very stressful! It's hard to get your body to do what you want it to do when your mind is all over the place! Soooo, I went on a MUCH NEEDED mini-vacation to Las Vegas! Since it's only about a 5 hour drive, some friends and I decided to enjoy a weekend away poolside. VIP, Valet, and bottle service was the name of the game! We just so happened to choose the weekend of the Mayweather vs. Mosley fight at the MGM Grand. There were sooo many people! I even saw Ray-J! But by Sunday, the town had cleared out and the vibe was perfect! The trip was so relaxing; so no hangover moments this trip! Maybe next time...

 

xoxoxo

PB = Personal Best!

Why this little lesson in what a PB is? Because I have a new one! 6.62m, up 1cm from 6.61! Yessss! That is still 21'8", but a better 21'8". And what's more interesting, it's 21'8" after 4 years of not competing! So, I think it's finally safe to say that I am back! The best part is that I don't even feel like I'm in top shape. Why is not being in top shape the best part you may ask? Well, because that means that there is mucho room for improvement! I have set some new goals now. My goal had been to jump 6.61, so um, CHECK! Now my goal is to just jump further than that, or at least remain consistent. Next meet, May 15 @ Georgia Tech. Atl shawty!

Mt. Sac Long Jump results

xoxoxo

Confidence

You know how sometimes you get your monthly cell phone bill, and it's waaay more than usual? Well, my little brother had a knack for calling up customer care, and convincing them to credit him the minutes back, even though it was indeed his own carelessness which caused him to go over his monthly minute allotment (this is pre-rollover days). So, when it happened to me, I called up my bro to see what I had to say, and how I had to say it, to get the same deal. His advice?

"First, you have to go look in the mirror, and convince YOURSELF that you didn't go over the minutes. Then, get on the phone with customer care, and tell them that you did not go over your minutes"

Moral of the story - YOU have to believe it before anyone else will.

Nothing can compare to the confidence you have when you believe in yourself. The Oracle, aka Wikipedia, even states that "Confidence can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as those without it may fail or not try because they lack it and those with it may succeed because they have it rather than an innate ability" Wiki

With all that being said, I finally jumped over 20 feet again! Hooraaaay! 6.20m to be exact, that's 20'4" for all you layman track heads. A small feat in comparison to my overall goals; but a step nonetheless.

Check out the complete results here

Black History: John Horse

Two quick notes about me: 1. I love my black heritage 2. I love being from Florida. About this time last year, I was browsing the web for information on slavery in Florida. What I found was an epic story of a courageous, strong, and resilient group of people that absolutely blew my mind! Seminoles in Florida, and freed slaves from the southern states coming together to maintain freedom and heritage. What surprised me the most is I HAD NEVER IN MY LIFE HEARD OF THESE HISTORICAL EVENTS! And I am from Florida! As a child, I played on the beach at the inlet where one of the actual battles were fought (Jupiter Inlet)!

Florida became a US territory in 1822. Before then, the southern peninsula was mostly inhabited by French and Spanish settlers, as well as Native Americans, and Native American immigrants who had escaped from other southern states to avoid being exiled to the Indian reservations in the mid-west. The best known group of these displaced Native Americans are the Seminoles. There was another group of people, too. African-American Slaves. Some who claimed to have been born free; others who who fugitives that had escaped southern slavery. Early American visitors to the Spanish and French colonies reportedly told tales of Blacks living amongst the Native American's in the wilderness. Not as slaves, but as free men.

As you would imagine, this created a huge dilemma for southern slave owners. Once their slaves escaped, they wanted to capture and re-claim their "property". However, they were forbidden to do so if slaves entered Florida, because Florida was out of the US jurisdiction. Fugitive slaves simply claimed to be the "property" of a Seminole Tribe Chief (since African Americans could not technically be "free men" in those days).

However, when Florida became an official US Territory, all hell broke loose - literally! Slave catchers could now legally enter Florida and capture fugitive slaves to bring them to back to their owners. It was difficult to do, because slaves had families of their own, and some of the children had never been slaves at all. The slaves catchers found ways around that by claiming that any off-spring of a slave that he owned was indeed his property as well. Fugitive slaves told the Seminoles of their tribulations in bondage, and the Seminoles vowed to help provide them with safe haven. What they didn't anticipate was the US moving in on Florida, and attempting to displace the Native Americans from their native land. What history doesn't tell us about the War of 1812 is that it was a war that was fought in order to exile Native Americans from Florida, and move them to reservations in the mid-west. They refused.

Chief Osceola

John Horse was born in Florida in 1812 to an African-American mother (fugitive slave), and a Seminole father, a supposed Chief. When John was still a child, Andrew Jackson, a general at the time, invaded Florida, driving most of the Indian tribes further south into the everglades. By the time John was a young man, all-out war had broken out between US troops and Native Americans alongside Black Seminoles. John Horse acted as interpreter between the Native Americans and US liaisons, however he also fought in many battles during the war in order to protect the freedom of his African-American Heritage, and his Native American land. John Horse was said to be Chief Osceola's right hand man in the wars. The Seminole Wars, also known as The Florida Wars, are the longest, and most expensive civil wars North America has seen. Starting in 1817, and not ending until the Seminoles finally conceded and moved west to Oklahoma territories in 1858. Not by conquest, but because the Seminoles did not want to be at war any longer. The wars were hard fought. Andrew Jackson himself had stated that if it weren't for those "pesky Black Seminoles", this war would have long been over. US troops would describe the Black Seminoles fighting in swamps as phantoms; unable to be killed or captured during battles. It was nearly impossible for US troops to fight in Florida's swamp conditions as it was, let alone battle "warriors" in the wilderness. US federals expected to come, see, and conquer; but that was far from the case. John Horse fought with, was captured with, and escaped with Seminoles and other Black Seminoles throughout the war. He died in 1882, in route to Mexico City, still fighting for land rights for his people.

John Horse is an African-American hero because his heroics in the Seminole Wars - believe it or not - laid the groundwork for the Emancipation Proclamation. John Quincy Adams argued in Washington, DC in regards to the Seminole Wars that you cannot quiet a man's "rebel status", and that any man would "emancipate himself". He asserted that "war power" was limited by laws and usage. A man's will to be free however, is unlimited!

"Southern slaves had the ability to win freedom through insurrection should the federal government find it expedient to grant them liberty". - John Quincy Adams

Adams argued this point 27 years before Lincoln's proclamation. I wonder where Lincoln's idea to emancipate slaves came from? Well I will tell you that most are unaware that John Quincy Adams was a mentor to Lincoln before he was president!

Please read more about John Horse and The Seminole Wars. I promise you that it is an exciting and passionate story about freedom, liberty, and heritage: and none of it is fiction! My favorite part is when Chief Osceola along with other Seminoles and Black Seminoles were being held captive at a fort in a small room that only had one 2ft x 2ft window with 2 bars, nearly twelve feet from the floor. Outside of the window was a drop off to the ocean. The prisoners starved themselves for days, until they were able to hoist one another up and squeeze through the bars to their freedom - scrapping the very skin from their flesh! No price is too high for freedom!

Articles and References:

www.johnhorse.com

www.lostworlds.org

wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Horse

wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Florida

wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole_Wars

www.augustine.com

Celebrate Black History
xoxoxo

Alexander McQueen

RIP
1969 - 2010

I woke up this morning to very terrible news. Alexander McQueen, an English fashion designer, had passed away. He was found in his London home dead by apparent suicide. My gut wrenches anytime I hear that someone ends their life in such a manner. Unlike most, I don't feel that they are selfish people. I feel deep pity for them - could it be that their life was so unbearable and full of pain that they saw death as their only relief? I can never help but wonder if there is something I could have done, or said. But alas, they are gone... I pray he finds peace.

I first became familiar with McQueen's work while browsing Puma.com for athletic gear. Puma is my favorite sports apparel brand, and McQueen designs an edgy, fashion forward line for the shoe company. I had hopes of one day rocking McQueen's designs alongside my Puma sports apparel should Puma be so inclined to endorse me ;). Hopefully his design team will continue his vision. His designs were hot!

Check out more of his collection in collaboration with Puma at

alexandermcqueen.puma.com

NASTY!

This past weekend I competed in my second competition for this indoor season. Nasty! Sometimes I use nasty to describe something good, like Michael Jackson 'Bad'. Not this time though. It was just plain old nasty! However I did improve on my mark from last week, bettering my performance by almost half a foot (6.01). I got third place this time. The winner went 6.4something.

On the bright side, I feel as though a 6.70-80 jump is like riiiight there! Call me crazy, but I feel it. Another good thing is that I was super sore after the meet, this can only mean one thing; those long-lost jumping muscles are finally waking up and getting with the program. The best jumping practice is to actually JUMP! So progress should come rather quickly now that I'm competing again. Can't fricken wait! UGH!! When the jump does come, it's gonna be nasty! ;)

Something else nasty happened to me over the weekend. I was sitting next to a nice old lady from Burbank on the plane, who gave me some "really good 'cookies'". I am warning you, if someone ever offers you these "cookies"...



They are NASTY!

xoxoxo

Video Archives

I found some videos of me racing in college for the University of Maryland. So, if you've never had the opportunity to see me compete, here's your chance!

2005 UMD Indoor Home Meet
My roommate Yvette Lewis is next to me in the blue uniform, and next to her is Kellie Wells

2005 Indoor Armory Meet Harlem, NY
LOL at my Coach yelling "HEAD UP!" at the beginning of the video!

2005 Outdoor ACC's in Tallahassee
I'm in lane 8, running next to me in lane 7 is Dominique Darden for UM

2005 Outdoor East Regionals, New York, NY

Special Thanks to Robert Frelow! Find these and other track video and pictures at www.FrelowPhotos.com!

xoxoxo

Jan 29, 2010 Jump

Here is a video of me jumping in New Mexico!

Please disregard the horrible form. It's a 'work in progress'!

xoxoxo

Crawl before I fly...

I have finally competed in my first meet since deciding to return to track and field after a 3 year hiatus. The results? 5.60 5.72 5.66 foul 5.84 5.53. Paltry, to say the VERY least. After hearing the results of my first attempt, a lot of things went through my mind. First was, "The measuring device is most certainly broken!". But after I overcame my initial denial, I thought "What the hell am I doing here?!". Yes, I began to doubt myself - something I seldom do.

My discontent was written all over my face. Some tried to comfort me by reminding me that regardless of my performance, I still was able place second. Others were more outspoken in their disappointment. In the end though, Coach was satisfied. "I am teaching you a brand new technique, different than any way that you've ever jumped. We came here today, to see if you could execute what you have been learning - distance doesn't matter right now, the jump WILL come!"

Above everything else, I was reminded that success doesn't come easy. One of my training partners told me the story of NFL great, Kurt Warner, who lead three teams to the superbowl and is a hall of fame inductee; only after bagging groceries for minimum wage when he wasn't picked up after college. When Michael Jordan came out of retirement, his first season was earmarked by a steal from him that lead to a loss in the play-offs to the Orlando Magic. He eventually took the Bulls to yet another 3-peat of the national title. Then there's Grace Upshaw, my personal favorite American long jumper, and one of the more consistent jumpers in the event. She essentially retired from track and field after college, but made a comeback after two years to make 7 national teams, including two Olympic rosters!

One thing all these athletes have in common is that they didn't quit! Had they quit after the first bitter taste of defeat (and it is bitter!) they never would have realized greatness. We all must crawl before we walk - in my case, fly!

Key's Reads Wednesday - Zen in the Art of Archery

Key's Reads Wednesdays

The last Wednesday of each month, I choose and discuss an interesting book that I've read. This month's book is 'Zen in the Art of Archery' by Eugen Herrigel.

The title sounds equivocal - but I assure you that this book is definitely a MUST read! It was referred to me by a history professor on my flight back to San Diego after the new years. He suggested it after I told him that I was an Olympic hopeful for the London 2012 games.

Zen is a Japanese 'art' that has been practiced and passed down in Japanese culture for centuries. This book is excellent for anyone interested in discovering a more simplified approach to life (which should be everyone) through an understanding of Zen. Using archery, Herrigel discusses techniques for applying Zen to any and every circumstance. Zen in the Art of Archery is chalked full of instructions, phrases, and examples of how one can "spiritually transform". The author uses direct quotes of his archery master from lessons in Archery to relay the concepts of Zen, and achieving the "Great Doctrine".

Not to be mistaken with a lesson in archery, Zen in the Art of Archery uses archery as a guide to explain the complex, yet simple, nature of Zen. What is Zen? In a word, enlightenment. Zen removes the emphasis of logic, and replaces it with understanding through thought and mediation. This book serves as a reminder that "everything is everything". One's own knowledge and understanding is insignificant. What matters, and all that matters, is the here and now. I don't want to give too much of the book away, and I don't want to divulge too much insight; as it is imperative that you keep an open-mind when reading this book.

A quick read of about 80 pages, I suggest reading it in one sitting. Then perhaps reading it once more within a week. It will change your perspective on life forever! Happy Reading!

xoxoxo

Twenty Ten

Happy New Year Everyone!

Are we still sticking to those resolutions? I hope so! My resolution was to simply work harder! I feel like I work hard already, but I def have room for improvement. I write down my goals for the day the night before, and make an effort to accomplish them the next day, as if there were no tomorrow. I have also committed to meditating for 30 minutes each day. Nothing real spiritual, just 3o minutes of quiet time to sit still and THINK everyday. It is actually big help! I highly recommend you try it at least once in a while.

I got to go to West Palm Beach for about 3 weeks over the break. I enjoyed being back home, but the weather was really weird - some nights it got down to about 30 degrees! I was so excited to get back to San Diego and the warm weather! Beginning to like Southern California more and more!

xoxoxo