The 'Man in the Mirror' is you...

From “Man in the Mirror”
By Michael Jackson (1988)

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
No message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and make the change
You gotta get it right, while you got the time
‘Cause when you close your heart
Then you close your mind…

“Praying for the souls of all these amazing talents. The world has lost icons today.”
— Aubrey ODay on the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett on the same day / June 25, 2009

As time passes us in the fortitude of our health, we are reminded that we are not invincible when someone close to us passes away, or great icons disappear before our eyes as we stand in disbelief. The mind then becomes wrapped in time, lost in thought, trying to figure out the formula to stay here on this earth.
In the track & field world, this attitude is the same, we are invincible, and the time is right here on this track. Being the winner of noticeable strength is important in this sport, from the master’s athlete to the Olympian. The final attainment of glory is fulfilling to a degree—some will do whatever it takes for this.
In a race, this may be true, but what can be said when we get off the track? How do we relate to our communities? How can we help our youth who are following behind us shortly? The reality, our stay on this earth is not forever, so how do we want others to remember us?
As we look in the mirror and reflect on those who have significantly affected our lives, we realize that without them, we would not be who we are today. The dreams sought are real and can be had. The road to get there exists and can be trot.
These settle reminders help me to remember why I wanted to make sure this show, T.R.A.C.K. Live! was of a different breed reality show—something that gives back to the youth and to the community, while the athlete becomes the ultimate role model for everyone—a true icon to be remembered for his/her great athletic ability and works.
Blessed or those who came before us for such lessons to be learned.

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The Unfair Race

Cross-country racing has no mercy when it comes to terrain, weather and competition. There are no excuses in these races because everyone deals with the same elements. There are no lanes but trails that will be even or uneven, muddy or too dry, dusty or littered with loose grass. And the rolling hills that the athlete climbs during such races laughs at the unprepared, letting them slowly crawl up its mighty crest or roll down its bumpy grain from fatigue.

I learned to accept the inevitable in these races because there was no escaping the landscapes’ ingratitude, nature’s temperament or the avenging trails. The only excuse was to run because it was an unfair race for everyone. But what’s more devastating is running when there are elements that affect judgment such as sickness, or with other runners who really play dirty…

It was on Hampton University’s cross-country team as a freshman that I learned how unforgiving these races were. In early September when the winds chill the bone, I was running in my scanty clothing with a white turtle neck as my West Coast blood complained about the inclement weather it was not used to running against. But it was a cold, chilly day for everyone, and the rains played dirty, misty tricks on us all day, creating muddy terrain and camouflaged puddles. Unfortunately, my weak body gave in; as if in rebellion, the temperature of my body rose and flu symptoms emerged early that morning. My insurgent stomached churned with sickness, and my revolting body began to shake with chills. This would be a most memorable racing experience for me running with the flu in the worst of conditions. I let my coach know ahead of time of my ailments; the only advice given was to fight through it for a little over three miles. My teammates were supportive and told me to hang in there. However, there was another enemy lurking in the shadows at this competitive invitational: our main rivals, Norfolk State. There were two upper-class athletes who were known to play dirty; I was to steer clear away from them.

As soon as the race started I was fighting two enemies: my body and the merciless trail. I befriended my mind, hoping that it would cheer me on to the end. But in the middle of the race, it was giving into the commands from my body. As I ran with my teammate, I told her I could barely hold on; she told me to try to keep going because I was almost there. I did. As we neared the 3/4^th mark, there they were, the Norfolk State girls, blocking the trail as we came upon their heels. My teammate tried to lead me pass them. I followed her to the side around them, but the mean one tried to elbow and trip her. (Please read the rest of the Producer's Corner as a FREE member of our T.R.A.C.K. Live! community blog. Sign up by clicking here.)

When the results are not what you envision...

During my first year of college when I ran for Hampton University in Virginia, I was surprised at what I was able to accomplish in my running career as a freshman. I knew it was from my training and discipline in high school. My cross-country season was a breeze where I always placed in the top three at every match. I even made it all the way to the CIAA championship finals on a very chilly day with my California skin and placed seventh overall.

Indoor track was a new experience for me and even more rewarding where I placed third in the 1500m and second in the 1600m relays, and third in the 800m CIAA Championship finals; these races were back to back so I was pleased with my winnings.

So I could expect nothing less in my outdoor season, my favorite, so I thought. My expectations were high, my goals were set, and I was ready to win like all the other races. But the season did not pan out the way I thought it would. There were more disappointments in my judgment of races more than anything. I couldn't understand it because I had trained so hard for many
months, even between seasons. I was losing faith as a mid-distance runner and wasn't sure how I was going to pull myself out of this mindset. I humbled myself, got back in touch with the enjoyment of the races instead of the winnings and found my outdoor season almost over when I began winning in the top three again.

Yet there was one more blessing, one last hope I could count on--our 1600m relay team made it to the championship finals and I was on this relay team. Everyone knew we were the favored; we were expected to win. In my freshman head, of course, I switched my mindset back to winning, because this one race should be a breeze, I figured... (Please read the rest of the Producer's Corner #3 as a FREE member of our T.R.A.C.K. Live! community blog. Sign up by clicking here.)

Giving up the easy way.

They say that giving up is the easy way, the easy way to say “I failed.”

During my high school years, I switched to a well-known private school in San Jose, CA to compete at a higher level in track & field and all sports. I remember how good that sounded: switching to another school so that I could compete with very competitive athletes, after all this should be easy, I thought, since I had a natural athletic talent. I didn’t know how surprised I would be until the first day of track practice at my new school: I remember the stigma of having to run 10 X 400m, very fast, no breaks. My ego was telling me I couldn’t do it, and that the coach and athletes at this school were crazy. My new teammates tried to encourage me and told me to block the throbbing pain in my legs out of my mind and just run. I could tell they were trying to tolerate me with little patience—they didn’t have time to deal with weak failures.

So what did I do? I walked off the track, gave up, and told myself and the coach I couldn’t do it and that the workouts were insane. I convinced myself that I had to be right, for no one in their right mind would endure such pain—no way! It wasn’t the way I was used to training.

Needless to say, it was a severe reality check—if I wanted to be a part of the best then I had to learn to run and train with and be like the best. What a horrible experience that taught me a valuable lesson…
The next day, I humbled my ego—(come join our FREE membership at tracklive.us and read the rest of this "Producer's Corner #2" free always!)

DISCLAIMER TO ALL MEMBERS & T.R.A.C.K. Live! VISITORS:

There is a commentator outside of T.R.A.C.K. Live! who is not an official or reporter of any business regarding T.R.A.C.K. Live! or Julia Dudley or any essence thereof. Ken Stone at Masterstrack.com is not authorized to report on any specific dealings with T.R.A.C.K. Live!, nor have we given him any recent information or interviews in regards to the direction of the show. The information he is reporting is erroneous, libelous and outdated. Any correspondence that does not come from the producers of the show or show creators should be subject to investigation and is not a reliable source. Thank you for your understanding.

Julia Dudley Najieb
Show Creator & Executive Producer

An invincible way of thinking...

In the scorching summer gazes on the porch, age 5 at my grandmothers’ house, this was an invincible time for me. I was determined to fly like the great superheroes in my morning cartoon watching that engaged my mind’s eye—even the noisy swamp cooler was an irrelevant distraction.

The cousins and I were all there, eager to get into something … From my grandmother’s linen closet, we would grab the longest flowing towels we could find, wrap it around our necks and jump off the porch hoping the wind would carry us along. This was a thrill not to seek, but a thrill to jump into, for broken legs were never a thought for any of us— we were super heroes; we were invincible.

When I think back today of those moments which affect me now, I still jump off porches, knowing that the wind is going to carry me, as far as I want to go. I never realized that during the T.R.A.C.K. Live! production which started off...(This entry is continued on the member's blog at www.tracklive.us. Membership is free!)

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