I wrote down the title of this article with intentions of making everyone aware of our next move. I also realized many athletes would be intrigured to know what it takes to take the next step in their sport. Taking the next step requires something many of us try to avoid as much as possible. It requires Change and lots of it.

For us here at CoverGround we realized to be able to step what we are doing up to the next level we have to change things up for good. This change is one we did not want to make at first but we realized that it is the only way to get better.  We are moving Cover Ground to a new location at Parilexx.com.

We decided to do this because though we put a lot of time into both sites it is very difficult to run 2 sites that could easily be turned into one and continue being athletes ourselves, while I also have a commitment to school. The change is coming with the heat though as we are introducing a bunch of wicked guest authors who will be joining the team along with a bunch of other things so stay tuned.

CoverGround has slowed down and will continue to be slow as we are working on the new site in between track meets. Bare with us for the time being and when things get kicking full force you will love what we bring to the table.

To Take The Next Step…

It requires having enough courage to even take the step in the first place. Not everyone has what it takes to get to the next level becaue people get scared of being wrong. People get scared of a change not working out. Something may have worked for you to get you to the point where you are at. Many times we need to change that approach in order to continue that growth.

They do not change something if it is not broken but sometimes you are to blind to see that the way you are doing things is broken.  As I write this update from a hotel getting ready to run a track meet and I know my brother has A NASTY travel schedule coming up. We just want to make this all work as efficient as possible. The content will be the same, but it will just have a different location.

(original image by judepics)

I totally feel you. Life moves and it moves fast. You can’t help but to worry, or be afraid of what tomorrow will bring. It can feel like you have so much on your plate that you have to put what is falling off on 2 other plates. You could have also have some ass backwards time management but thats another article.

All I want to talk to you about right now is how to take a chill pill (without actualy putting anything in your mouth of course). Nothing bugs me more than getting worked up over nothing so this is how I unwind.

1. The Sauna

Personally this is my favorite place to go to get in coolaxing mode. They are hot and they make you sweat but they make you sweat in a much different way than sports do. A lot of time in sports you sweat and do not even realize you are sweating. In the sauna you sweat and if you concentrate you can almost feel it come out of each individual pore.

Sit in them alone or with a good freind when you need to relax. Throw water on the coals and the sound of the steam coming off of them represents the stress of your days leaving your body. Think about all that is bugging you and let it out. Once you open that door to leave you leave your problems in the sauna to burn up.

2. Massages

Every athlete loves a good massage. Actually let me rephrase that. Every human loves a good massage. Messages are meant to flush the garbage out of our muscles that we do not want and keep them healthy. People often fall asleep when getting a long enough massage. Why you ask, because they are so RELAXED.

3. Stop and Think With Your Eyes Closed

We so rarely ever stop and just really think things through. We get worked up when deep down inside we know that we are going to be ok. Life is going to keep going on and in a few years we will not even remember what got us worked up in the first place.

Stop and really analyze what in life is stressing you out and figure out why it is. What is it that is scaring you, or making you feel the way that you are. Slow the world down and bring it back to your pace. We often get caught up in moving at other peoples paces. We play their game when we should  be making the rest of the world play our game.

4. Think About the Elusive Nothing

The most elusive thing to think about is nothing. This is one of my favorite things to do becuase I am really not even sure if it is possible. If you know do not tell me though because I do not care. Thinking of nothing is a cool game because you get LIFE off of your mind. It is like chasing perfection, we know we can’t get it but we still wake up and try.

5. Proper Sleep at Night

It is a lot easier to stress over things when you are just outright tired. Take your ass to bed a few hours earlier.

6. Clear Out the Junk

I read this article last month that talked about how humans love to have things. This is why our rooms and houses are often packed fulled of junk that we tend to never even use. When I though about it, I was one of those people to the max. I would keep all types of things because I figured ONE DAY…. I COULD need it but that day just never comes.

I went home and ended up throwing out half of the things in my room. I realized how much that clutter was taking up room in my brain. When I came back to my much emptier room I was a much happier person and I felt much more relaxed and free.

7. Clear Out What You Do Not Love

This is the toughest of them all. It is a lot easier to throw something out that you do not like than something that is a part of your life. We all have things we keep in our lives and do not like. It could be people, places we go, activites we engage in…The list goes on.

The problem is if we are doing things we hate or do not enjoy we are wasting our brains mental energy. Getting rid of these things will only put you in a wonderful state of relaxation.

So What..

You do not need a pill to chill, you just need some will. If you have some will and you have something that you love in this world and you know how to smile, you will be ok. As I say to all my friends when something goes wrong “You will be IIGHT”.

(original image by tommogs)

When most athletes get any love it is usually after they ball their asses off. If you are reading this because you want that feel good gushy mushy stuff you may as well stop now. This is a story about Faith and Patience. To make this story sweeter I know Kyven but I dont KNOW Kyven (if that even makes sense, I am basically saying I don’t know every detail of his life). This is what makes the story one I have been dying to write because I have always just had that outside looking in perspective.

Go Ahead Kyven BALL OUT!!!

Like most freshman in college you are coming off of being a BEAST in highschool. You mashed everyone in highschool and though you know it will be a little bit harder you expect to mash everyone up in college. This was no different for this young man.

He came to Iowa State with plans to be a national champion in wrestler. If you do not know much about NCAA wrestling, Iowa State has the most history out of any school in the nation when it comes to the sport. Translation of this is pressure.

I heard about Kyven before he even got here. He was the buzz of wrestling because he was suppose to come here and contend for that title right off the jump. Then something happend that no freshman (including myself) ever sees coming, injuries. The injuries got a hold of Kyven and that is when I officially connected with him because I knew what he felt like to some degree.

When you are an athlete it is tough to expect big things from yourself and not even have the chance to go out there and prove yourself. There is a huge difference between losing and not competing. There is a pain that comes over you like no other when you cheer your teammates on, watch them lose and deep down know they are waiting for you to come and help them.

The pain of knowing you worked your butt off only for your season to get cut short or not even begin. Not much can be compared to that type of pain. You begin to doubt if you are even good enough to hang at all. You start thinking of all types of crazy things. You love your sport so much yet you wonder if maybe it is time for you to pack it in and take up something else.

You begin to allow all forms of doubt to creep into your brain. To push these doubts out takes a different type of person. It takes someone made of steel but with a heart that flows of the reddest blood you have ever seen. It takes someone who does not walk by logic, but they walk with faith.

Preparation for the Throne

I instantly connected with Kyven because I knew why he was going through what he was going through. He simply was being prepared for greatness. Mark my word this man will make it to the top and when he gets there he will respect, and appreciate what it really takes to be the best.

Anyone can be given something but that is not what we appreciate. Kyven is not that guy that won the lottery, he is that Bill Gates sitting in his garage cooking up computer software all day and night. He is goin to have to work for EVERYTHING that is given to him but he will get there and it is going to be BIG when he does.

Kyven earned my respect because through the trials and tribulations he kept his faith strong. He beleived that he belonged where he is and that his time was and still is not over.

Secondly, he exemplified what it means to be patient. I see him in the training room day in and out rehabing his ass off.

He pushes himself but at the same time he knows he cant push too hard or he will end up in the same spot. He knows it is going to take a wicked mix of patience and hard work to get where he wants to be.

So What…

Everything happens for a reason and many times when we look back on things we see that it was all a blessing in disguise as the WORST THING EVER. Never ask why me, or wish that you had what someone else had because you never know what your future has in store. If you are an athlete to the BONE like Kyven is, than you will not stop until you know you gave every ounce of your heart up for your dreams.

This story is sooooo far from over folks….

(original image by Patrick Coons)

Damn, it sucks that you even had to read this because… NO WAIT! It doesn’t because lets be real if you are an athlete you have performed poorly and the fact that you will admit that shows you have what it takes to get better. Nothing can cut deeper than not performing the way you expected but nothing can compare to bouncing back like a BEAST.

1. Do NOT Feel Sorry For Yourself

The first thing most people want to do is walk around with that sad ass face. Here is why I say dont do it. You know everyone and their grandma is going to ask you how it went.

It will go a lot better if you can just look like you have some life in you even if you did not do well. Saying you did not do well but still being upbeat shows that you know you have another fight left in you.

The whole look at me feel bad for me really does nothing because everyone knows what it is like to be disappointed. You just have to suck it up and figure out how you are going to get better from this point forward.

2. Talk to the Most Positive People You Know

Everyone knows that person who is super negative. Everyone also knows that person who is positive beyond belief. Talk to the positive people because they will life you up and getting you forgetting about the past and looking forward to the future.

If you do not have this person then hit me up I dont care. Tweet me, FB me, do something because we all need some positive light. My parents are excellent people to talk to after I have a bad performance because they help me see the good instead of the bad.

3. Write Down All The Positives of The Performance

Don’t just think of them. WRITE THEM DOWN. This just reinforces things and puts you in a better mood.

4. Put Things in Perspective

Perspective is key. My brother always would say that “there is always a story behind every run” meaning that even though most people only look at the results there is always more to the story. You are the only one who knows the full story of what happend to you.

Think about everything that has happend to you from training, injuries, eating, travelling add it all up and it may tell you just why you did not do too hot. Putting things in perspective is what can actually bring you from said to ready to compete again.

5. Figure Out What You Have to Do to Be Better

Going along with putting things in perspective if you did not do well the fact is something went wrong. It is now time to figure out just what that is that went wrong. You are not done there though. You must then actually taking action in fxing what has gone wrong.

6. Go to Work

It is that simple you are now in a better mood. You know what has gone wrong now it is officially time to get better. Lets bring it out.

So What…

The so what is simple. Someone has to lose and sometimes it is going to be you. Get strong mentally because only the strong survive. Make sure you share this article on Facebook and Tweet it to your tweeps. You never know who needs a bit of help bouncing back.

(original image by gottyeriz)

As I begin my outdoor season I think back on what I experienced from my indoor season. I had quite a long, yet awesome, indoor season. I started with a personal best, World Indoor standard, world ranked, 6.59s over 60m. That time got me into some great meets…Tyson Invitational in Arkansas, Pas de Calais in Lievin France, & iFAM in Gent, Belgium. The goal was to make a great first impression on meet directors for outdoor meets, with the ultimate goal of running well leading up to World Indoors. I would say I bombed those meets and didn’t run as well as I should have.

This indoor season was my first time traveling abroad to compete against some of the best in the world and I needed to figure out what happened. After getting back home and really have a few weeks to think about my indoor start, I finally figured it out and needed to get it right for Worlds. So below is some advice that you can implement at any point of your season and of course anytime you travel for a competition.

Home Advantage is Always Great But…

Who doesn’t love home court, your own domain, your 2nd crib. You’re in the most comfortable place that you could be. You train there everyday. I abuse any time I can compete on my own track, seeing how all my best times are on my home track (10.15 & 6.59 both at York University in Toronto).

But the key is taking those performances and doing them again when out of your comfortable environment. You’re not always going to have home advantage, so you need to go to someone else’s house and kill the same way. You need to wake up and eat the same way, warm up the same way, and dive in confident the same way.

LESSON: Do the exact same routine as you would if you were home.

Radio Silence!!

This day and age, young people love their twitter, facebook, texting, bbm, whatsapp, skype, blackberry, iphone, droid, internet and whatever else I’m missing…but at the wrong time this can be a huge distraction.

My first meet in Arkansas I made the mistake of being in my bed but on my computer. I needed to be resting completely instead of being up on my computer.

LESSON: Turn off your electronics the day of a competition (if you can, even the night before)

Your Favourite Snacks Will Save You

While I was in Leivin France, the food was so culturally different that I almost starved to death. Like cold cuts for breakfast, unknown meat for dinner…and there was nothing I could really do about it. I couldn’t even get milk that tasted alright for a protein shake.

I realized I needed to bring all those snacks I love when I’m at home like raisins, crackers, rice cakes, etc. Those are also some high energy foods for a little boost during competitions.

LESSON: Don’t forget to bring your snacks with you whenever you travel.

You Can NEVER Sleep Too Much

Sleeping is always a great thing to do when you travel. As I said I made that mistake in Arkansas about being up on my computer, when I should have been sleeping. Well I took that advice into my last meet in Belgium and slept every chance I had. It may have contributed to my easy 6.67 I ran in the heats.

LESSON: Sleep is your best friend every chance you get.

You Can NEVER Drink Too Much Water

I ran 6.67 in the heats in Belgium then cramped up in the final. I slept a lot but didn’t drink enough! It was one thing after the other I felt like and didn’t remember a basic tip when your traveling a lot. Drink!

LESSON: Have a bottle of water in your hand at all times! Electolytes, like E-Load would be helpful as well.

So What…

It’s going to take you a few tries just like me to figure out your routine, but find a routine that works for you and stick with it! Don’t change a thing from the way you have practiced. If you see one of the best athletes doing a certain drill in their warm up, don’t start implementing that into yours! Stick with your routine.

I made all the adjustments for World Indoors and was well prepared. Even thought I didn’t run as well as I wanted to, I made the final and placed 7th. Now its just doing the same thing for outdoors with some tweaks here and there.

(original image by Marga Corameta)

1. “When you win say nothing, when you lose say less.” – Paul Brown

2. “To forget is not to fail to remember. To forget is to break the power of the past by living for the future.” – Unknown

3.  “We all lose sight sometimes, but when we find our way again we are not only 2x stronger but we can see where we need to be, where we should be, and most importantly we understand why we are not there already.”  – Ian Warner

4. “It is not true that nice guys finish last. Nice guys are winners before the game even starts.” – Addison Walker

5. “An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.”- Emil Zatopek

6. “Do not wonder why you are blessed with so much, just understand you have so much so you can help other people have as much as you.” – Ian Warner

7. “Each great athlete must some day bow to that perennial old champion, Father Time, even as I, for Time eventually wins.” – Major Taylor

8. “I don’t know why people question the academic training of an athlete. Fifty percent of the doctors in this country graduated in the bottom half of their classes.” - Al McGuire

9. “Most people do not know themselves.  The real you is not that person you are when times are great, the real you shows when everything goes wrong. Can you hold on, can you keep pushing or do you quit?” – Ian Warner

10. “I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it. Whether you’re a musician, a writer, an athlete or a businessman, there is no getting around it. If you do, you’ll win – if you don’t, you won’t.” - Bruce Jenner

11. “A bird can fly as high as it wants but it eventually has to come down to earth and get some water… and when it comes down to get that water that’s when you strike.” – Kimbo Slice

12. “Sometimes it is not the ability to want to work hard that stops us. It is the ability to stay focus that impairs us to work hard.” – Unknown

13. ”There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path. Don’t allow yourself to become one of them.”  - Ralph Marston

14. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.”  - Billie Jean King

15. “Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”  - Dan Gable

16. “It is about what you do when nobody is watching. Can you always stay on your grind, or are you only a star when the lights are on you and everybody is watching?” – Ian Warner

17.  “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - Michael Jordan

18. “Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.”  – Marilyn vos Savant

19. “If what you did yesterday seems big… then you have not done anything today.” – Unknown

20. “You have to do what others won’t to achieve what others don’t.” – Uknown

(original image by ester lin)

Roar when you wake up everyday.

Lions are the king of the jungle for a reason.

They do not back down,

They do not tremble in fear.

Matter of fact, fear is a word they do not associate with.

Pride, strength and victory are words that they do.

The question is…

If you end up in the Den who will be more scared

NOT the Lion!

When I say Roar when you wake up everyday

Do so because the King of the jungle is ready to roam

I can hear the lion in you that has been locked up for years

Waiting to get its paws on its First Gazelle

so Count to 10

and say please let that Gazelle in this Lions Den

(original image by safari partners)

We all have seen different situations in life where we see other people going through things and we feel as if we could never do what they did. Well the athlete I am putting in the spot light today is not because of being great at his sport. At the end of the day there are so many athletes I could write about for that. I am writting about him because of his ability to not give up while staying dedicated to the sport. Share his story on FB and Twitter because you never know who you know that may be so close to letting go of their dreams.

In college, you come in as a freshman with big dreams as an athlete. Only to get to college and see how much harder it is to be great as an athlete. All freshman have that day where they take in that they are no longer in highschool. My training partner here at Iowa State got hit with this notion real hard as a freshman. It was not that he was lacking talent at all. He was lacking something a lot of students lack. The will to do what you have to do in the classroom.

He had a decent freshman year on the track and things looked bright for his future. By year end his grades were horrible and he had to go to summer school in order to boost his gpa so that he would not be inelgible. He eneded up failing the summer school class so instead of helping he became ineligble for the next semester.

The Real Issue

Because he was a walk-on to the track team and he was inelgible the rule is here that you can no longer be on the team. This meant that he was no longer able to train with us until after having a good semester in the class room and becoming eligible again. Anyone who know anything about base training in track and field knows that it is very hard to do with people, and even harder to do all alone.

Determination + Persistance

Sander could have just quit because the task ahead of him would be too hard. He could have given up on school all together. Clearly he didn’t though because I would not be writting this article DUH!!!

He got the workouts from coach at the beginning of every week and practically did them all running alone. He spent the entire semester working as hard as he could in the class room to ensure that his grades put him in a position to be eligible.

Some days I would go to weights in the morning and see him at the track grinidng. People always felt really bad for him but he was man enough to know that he put himself in that postion. He was also man enought to not quit and get himself out of the position.

Needless to say Ryan is back on the team now and he is doing his thing both on and off the track. He has managed to have one of the best seasons of his life and he can credit most of it to his own dedication and persistance.

So What…

The point is to never give up on things because they do not go to plan. Sometimes we are put in awful positions so we can grow as people. If Ryan would have decided to give up on things he probally would not be in school nor would he be on the track team anymore. Fight until you are 1000% sure that the fight is over, and even then you can still throw a few last jabs.

(original image by vertigo)

I love to learn from what other athletes are doing with their lives. I truly beleive Mr. Ochocinco is one of the most underated in terms of the amount other atheltes can learn from him. Often the media trys to pick at him for any wrong doing they can, but in reality he has done a lot of things right in his NFL career. Learn from this man and learn from him well.

Dare to Be Different

If there is one thing he is not good at, it is never blending in with the crowd. He always finds ways to standout and he does not shy away from being different. Using his twitter account as one of many examples. His avatar is always some outragegous yet funny picture.

Personally, what made him standout the most to me was his touchdown celebrations. They were so classic and he basically made the NFL change the rules. He has been fined so many times by the league but he embraces that he is willing to do many things that other athletes would never even think about.

Try New Things

To name a few things he has dipped his hands into:

• Acting
• Bull Riding
• MLS
• WWE
• The Ultimate Catch (a reality tv show)

Out of this list my personal favourite was the “Ultimate Catch”. Not only did it have a clever name, but it was so funny. The show really did a great job at showing a different side of Chad while embracing his funny side. When it came down to it the show was not one that you expected an NFL player to do.

The MLS tryout during the football tryout was also great because he was not scared to try something new. Whether he was good at soccer or not, it did not stop him from going after an old dream of his. People will try and say it was all for publicity and what not but at the end of the day he still went out there and kicked some soccer balls.

Embrace Social Media

From a social Media Stand Point of view Chad is one of the best athletes at using social media. He is very dynamic on it and you really never know what to expect from him. He does a great job of showing love to fans, and building a loyal fan base. The best part is that he understands how to brand himself. A lot of athletes forget that their name is important. He uses social media to build himself just the way that he wants to be seen.

He Keeps it Real

Chad is Chad, there is nothing else to the story. What you see with him is what you get. He finds no reason to change or try and fake people out. He just keeps things as real as he possibly can. There is a lot to be said for someone as popular as him that can keep it as real as he does. With a lot of celebrites you wonder how they really are. With him you have no questions about who he is because you know.

So What…

Embrace what makes you different as person because in the end that is what makes you special. Do not hide who you are or be scared to try anything your heart desires in this world because at the end of the day you have nothing to lose, or do you?

(original image by robofx)

Green tea is made from Camellia Sinensis leaves and is one of the most beneficial drinks for our health. It doesn’t involve a hard oxidation procedure and therefore retains its healthy properties. It has multiple benefits like protecting our heart against malfunctioning, eliminates the risk of few types of cancer and raising the metabolic rate of the body which helps in burning more fat. Green tea has proven results in weight loss. Green tea is very famous in China and Japan. Green tea can be consumed in three forms:

1. Green tea: Green tea is most commonly used in the form of a beverage. Many people around the world prefer to drink tea and in its less oxidised form, it is the healthiest. One can have 2 to 4 cups of green tea a day to protect the body against various diseases.
2. Green tea supplements: Green tea is also available in the form of extract. Green tea extract are sold as green tea supplements. This is on option for those who do not prefer to drink tea or hold a taste for other varieties of tea and ingest green tea extracts as supplements. The dosage should be discussed with a doctor before starting a course.
3. Green tea patch: Green tea extracts can also be absorbed through skin by application of a patch. This maybe a useful way for athletes because of their caffeine requirement and the proven health benefits.

BENEFITS OF GREEN TEA

• Green tea protects the body against various forms of cancer by destroying the free radicals in the body. The compound EGCG is effective in reducing the development of unhealthy cells. It protects against cancers like lung, colon, breast and skin cancer.
• Green tea protects the heart and helps in lowering the cholesterol levels in a body. It helps in keeping healthy arteries by clearing out the blockage, thus preventing heart attacks.
• Green tea helps in improving the immunity levels of our body. Polyphenols have a great impact on our immunity. It creates anti-bacterial properties in the blood which help in fighting against diseases naturally.
• Green tea protects the body against Arthritis. It helps in relieving the symptoms and decreases the pain caused by it.
• Green tea helps in keeping our brain healthy by reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. It helps in keeping the brain cells healthy and prevents the damage.
• Green tea helps in fighting allergies in our body by stopping the production of immunoglobulin-E and histamine. It acts like an anti-allergen and protects against runny nose and watery eyes.
• Prevents ageing and reduces the percentage of cell oxidation. It prevents the formation of wrinkles and younger looking skin. It helps in keeping the skin soft and supple.
• Green tea aids in weight loss. It stimulates the metabolic rate and helps in burning triglycerides in the body. It aids weight loss through the process of Thermogenesis.
• Green tea stimulates the nervous system which is centrally located in a body to release the fat compounds so that the body can use it as a fuel. This helps in burning the fat present in a body

GREEN TEA AND WEIGHT LOSS

Green tea is associated with weight loss and this fact is confirmed by numerous studies. Green tea is a side-effect free way of losing weight. Green tea comprises of many compounds like caffeine, theobromine, saponins, theophyline, vitamins and epigallocatechine. Thermogenesis creates heat in the body which increases the metabolic rate. The compound Epigallocatechine (EGCG) boosts the metabolic rate and lowers the appetite. Having two to four cups of tea also reduces the hunger instinct.

Thermogenesis process speeds upto 77 percent after drinking green tea which had no relation when measured after drinking caffeine. Epherdine also did not have a significant increase in the thermogenesis process alone. The maximum effect was when green tea and Epherdine were taken together. There are few disadvantages of Ephedrine like hypertension and increased pulse rate

We burn approximately seventy to eighty extra calories when we drink four to five cups of green tea in a day. This means if one wants to lose one pound of weight, it will be possible in a period of 45 days of drinking green tea because of the high metabolic rate and Thermogenesis. The catechin polyphenols present in green tea stimulate the the use of fatty acids in liver and increase the endurance of muscles which helps the body in exercising longer.

This doesn’t mean that green tea alone can make the body efficient enough to burn the required amount of body weight. A good, strenuous workout regime needs to be complemented along with Green tea. The calorie intake also needs to be modulated as per the weight loss programme and more nutritious and fibre-rich food products need to be included in the diet. Together the three factors can really make a difference in the body weight and self-image which boosts confidence.

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The article is a contribution by Jefferey Morgan, being a fitness expert Jeff likes to research a lot on food and drinks which help to stay fit, by doing these researches it also gives him a way to write great articles on health and wellness, know on how to get ripped fast and for more information on the writer visit get ripped fast.

(original image by Dano)