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A Guide to College Baseball Bats
In the mid 1850s, when baseball was in its infancy, players made their own bats. They experimented with flat bats, round bats, and heavy bats. They ultimately discovered that the barrel shaped bat was the most effective. Today, college baseball bats...
How Power Play Golf Fitness Has Changed The Game
The sensational entry into the game by legendary golfer Tiger Woods, at the tender age of 20, introduced power play golf fitness into a game that had traditionally been looked at as a leisure sport where technique was much more important and...
The Origins of Basketball.
The origins of the game of basketball can be traced back to a gentleman by the name of Dr. James Naismith. In 1861, Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. During his early school days, Naismith would play a game called duck on a rock whereby...
Try Developing Your Own Golf Style
Some golf beginners think that all they have to do is copy Ernie Els, Tiger Woods or whoever their favorite golfer might be and bam, immediate golf success!
I am sorry to say, it is just not that easy. If it were then everybody would be a lot...
Why I Wear An Authentic Ravens Jersey On Monday Nights
Now I am going to tell you why I wear an authentic Ravens jersey when it's Monday Night Football.
More than ten years ago the Cleveland Browns moved from Cleveland to Baltimore and that was probably the best move the owners could possible have...
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Beginners Luck?
For most athletes, finishing an Iroman triathlon is beyond their physical and mental capabilities. To be an actual competitor is unfathomable. Maintaining the speeds these elite individuals do, over the courses and distances, is a truly amazing feet of human perseverance and endurance. That is why I was astounded by the incredible finish of Alex Morton, a 35 year old first time Ironman rookie.
Alex raced the Great Floridian Ironman in October. Not only was this his first Ironman, but it was his first marathon. Alex was 26th out of the water, moved up to 7th at mile 116 on the bike, and reached 5th at mile 11 on the run. It was at this point his inexperience took its' toll. Alex did not eat or drink enough on the run and hit the wall. He got sick, recovered, and still managed to limp in to finish first in his age; 12th overall. I have no doubt in my mind that if Alex had stuck to a more regimented plan for staying fueled and especially hydrated, he could have maintained or exceeded the 5th placed he attained.
There is no denying Alex is a gifted natural athlete. But he only began his training with CTS in spring of 2002, just 6 months before his Ironman race. Alex competed in cycling from 1986-89. He had to stop riding for some time to allow a back injury to heal up. He did a few sprint tris in 1994 and took up cycling again in 1995-97, but hung the bike back up. He did not get back in the saddle again until July of 2001 when he weighed a stout 195 lbs. His exercise at that point consisted mainly of golfing.
Alex told his wife Sandy that he wanted to race an Ironman. She gave him an account with CTS, and the time
to train as a gift. Alex started training with me in April. Pretty much from the beginning I realized he had enormous potential. His numbers were superb and he had great determination. Alex also has tremendous ability to recover from even the toughest work outs. His weight dropped to a pre-competition 165 lbs. His speed continued to improve through the summer as his heart rate dropped. Alex came down with a bad case of bronchitis, but decided to compete in a large sprint race in Cleveland against my better judgment. He did not realize until someone called him the next day he was first in his age and second overall! This is when I began to consider I was working with someone truly exceptional.
Moving forward, Alex would like to qualify and compete for the Kona Ironman. He would also like to finish an Ironman in less than 9 hours. He could not train like he does without the full support of his wife Sandy. He has two children, Gabriel 3 and Alex 1, and is General Manager of Preferred Industries. Obviously this requires some serious time management skills and understanding from his family. Alex is motivated by the need to demonstrate to his children they can achieve great things if they work hard for them. Competing is his way of proving anything is possible. I am very optimistic about his future.
About the Author
Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), is an Ultrafit Associate. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information.
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