Heres a first…writing a blog on a train, with wireless internet. I'm on the way from Gothenburg to Oslo and was just video skyping my parents in Texas. Technology sometimes just amazes me. After shuffling in and out of airports all over the world, and being crammed into seats in the back of planes, I actually prefer this whole train thing…its pretty nice. Got plenty of room to stretch out and walk around and no stupid seat belt signs!
I’m really biting my lip while typing this blog… I want to speak my mind about some of the stuff that’s happening in the track and field world, but I will hold my tongue…for now. I have been in Europe for a few weeks now and have watched the Prefontaine, Oslo, and most recently the New York Diamond League meets. After watching these meets, I feel discussed with this sport. Not from the athletics perspective, but from the “politics” of the sport. I am actually looking forward to the day when I can walk off the runway for the last time and speak my mind. You should mark the day on your calendar because that blog entry will be biblical! It will be the stuff that they write books about! I should probably do so now, but Ill hold off…for now.
I threw on June 1 in Dessau Germany (77.57m) for 4th place and 1st place in Gothenburg with 77.37m yesterday. Not big results if your looking at the top lists, but I’m a few meters ahead of where I was in 2009 heading into USA Champs, where I went 82m into a nasty headwind, so all things considered… Ill take it. Actually, even if I was throwing 50m right now, I would still take it. It absolutely doesn’t matter to me how far I’m throwing…I sleep the same every night! You might say that its easy for me to say that since I am “ahead of schedule” as far as my performance goes. But you will see, I can guarantee you that I will have a few ridiculously bad meets coming up, thats just the way the javelin is...and my tone will be the same.
My countdown to the exit from this stage is ticking and its what comes after that countdown is over that carries importance to me, not what some pathetic meet director thinks about my last throw. Quote it, tweet it, or write that on your wall/mirror or wherever you fell the need.
“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Until next time
M++
Who me?
- Mike Hazle
- I'm Mike, an athlete on the Roster of In the Arena, a nonprofit organization that anchors the highest-caliber role models in underserved communities with the aim of effecting positive and lasting change in today's youth. You can view my profile on ITA's site by clicking here, or you can email me by clicking here .