After just under six hours of sleep, 5 a.m. nudges me, letting me know that it’s time to work.

It’s Friday morning.  I know that I need more rest, but that will have to come later.

It’s time to have a great morning!

Coffee, smoothie, dressed in Jordan gear and out the door.

For the next 45 minutes or so, I ride alone in the darkness over the thirty-seven and a half miles of cool asphalt, rap music filling the early morning air as I prepare mentally to get better.

I arrive at my destination and the only light that I can see anywhere around, is that which is pouring out of the large rectangular windows at B Meyer Training.

I have no idea what I’ll be doing on this day.

I never know.

For two months my workouts have been different every single time.

I love it that way.

I grab my bag, my clothes, tell myself it’s going to be a great day and enter the gym.

I’m the first one there.

I’m always, the first one there.

Sign in, morning greetings with Dave and Coach B, bag down, it’s time to work.

After 50 or so minutes of push, I’m drenched in invigorating struggle, and I know I’ve gotten better.

But on this day, I’m not done.

Coach Dave Rubin points to the elliptical and says, “Let’s go!”

I take a deep breath, wipe the hard work from my brow and begin walking in the machine’s direction.

**

Every single morning when I arrive at the gym, Dave Rubin, the guy that’s been training me, is already there.  He’s got the music going, he’s upbeat and he’s ready to help me get better.

Dave’s tough, I’m not gonna lie.  His expectations are high, but they’re coming from the right place.  He’s a HUGE Jordan fan.  Some would say that it’s merely a coincidence, but I don’t believe that.

***

I step on the machine, still not sure what I’m going to be asked to do.

30 seconds prior I had thought that my workout was complete.

Dave says, “OK, let’s get better!  I want you to go all out, as fast as you can…let’s go!”

I begin, giving it every ounce of what I have remaining.  Arms and legs pumping back and forth, up and down, in a torturous rhythmatic performance.

15 seconds in, Dave informs me, “We’re gonna go a minute.”

My mind says, YOU DON’T HAVE A MINUTE KEN!

27, 28, 29, 30

The burn begins sliding up and down my legs, as my pace slows.

“You’re slowing down!  Come on, pick it up!  You’ve got to get stronger at the end of games!  You said you wanna get under a minute in the 300 yd shuttle, let’s go!  Push!”

37…38…39…

The burn isn’t moving.  It’s set up camp on my legs, as I try to give more.

My mind says, YOU GOTTA STOP!

44…45…46…

And it burns like hot cast iron skillets have been strapped to my legs!

My mind says, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  DON’T YOU FEEL THAT!?  STOP YOU FOOL!

52…53…54…

My legs, perhaps feeling a pain they’ve never felt, are trapped…between a mind and a heart.

My mind is screaming, QUIT!  QUIT!  QUIT!

58…59…60!

My mind is weak…but my heart is strong!

“Great job! OK, now walk it out,” Coach Dave says as he gives me a fist bump and more instruction.

“Control your breathing.”

“Cheek to cheek…move those arms!”

“Give me some light shuffles.”

“OK, you’ve got 15 seconds and we’re going to do it again.”

My mind is telling me, NOOOO!

He says, “Grab a quick sip if you need it.”

I make one step towards the water and then internally say HELL NO!  I’m about to bust this machine’s ass!

I get back on the elliptical, determined to succeed!

My mind is weak, buy my heart is strong!

GIVING MY ALL!

I may never be able to jump out of the gym or keep up with the likes of the facility’s most recognizable athlete, Dwight Howard, but what I can control is my effort!

My whole goal as I prepare on this journey to play Michael Jordan, is to be the best ME, that I can be.

That’s it!  So I push!  I give my all!  I strive to be the best Kenny Eller that I can be!

When God handed out gifts, he may not have given me the natural tools to be the best basketball player, but HE gave me a lot of determination.

HE gave me heart of belief!

Great Mornings!

Much like I control my effort in those early morning workouts, I’ve learned to also control my perspective.

I awake every morning and I tell myself, it’s gonna be a great morning!  Then, it’s gonna be a great afternoon!  Then finally, it’s gonna be a great evening!

Ask me how I’m doing at anytime and I’m going to tell you, “GREAT!”

April of last year, I sent one of my many hope filled emails along this path to a gentleman who has become a friend and mentor.

Dave Hopla received my email and a couple of hours later we spoke.  Three weeks after that initial conversation, we met and shot hoops together.  Since that time, nearly every few weeks I receive a call from Mr. Hopla, checking in to see how I’m doing.

You see Dave doesn’t deal with good.  He only associates himself with Great!

That’s why he shot 98.92% during his basketball shooting clinics last year.  With over 23,000 attempts, while speaking, he made almost 99%.

It seems undoable, but it’s not.

It begins with proper perspective.

Right before we ordered our lunch some nine months ago, Dave said, “People don’t remember good movies, but a GREAT movie, they recount every line!”

He said, “No one remembers good players, but GREAT players…they’re never forgotten!”

He went on with, “So why would you ever want to be good?”

“Why would you want to have a good day, when you can have a GREAT day?” he added, “It begins with how you think!”

Since that meeting and with the help of some Hopla perspective checks, I’ve incorporated this mindset into my daily life.

I ask people every single morning, how they’re doing and I NEVER hear great, other than the handful of people I’m working with, because they’ve heard my Hopla stories.

I hear, “OK”, “I’m good”, “I’ll be better in a bit”, “Alright”, “Ehhh”, and the list of improper responses rolls out like a red carpet, except their red carpet is leading to a mediocre day and worse, a mediocre life.

Shame on them!  Shame on YOU!  Shame on ME, until a few months ago.

You’ve been given the gift of another day, so be respectful of that and make it great!

It begins with YOU!

Getting Better!

There is no doubt in my mind that I’ve gotten better!  No doubt that I’m more prepared!

And the next time the burn says hello in the greatness of morning, my heart will smile the greatest smile and triumphantly say, “LET’S GO!!”

me vs. Michael Jeffrey Jordan…the journey continues!  Thank you so very much for following along!

####

I’ve been working with Dave Rubin and Coach B Meyer for right at two months now.  I really can’t say enough great things about either of them.  I can tell you that I have thouroughly enjoyed every bit of the experience and the improvement physically has far exceeded all of my expectations.  I have just a month remaining on what was my initial commitment, but I can already tell you that the things I’ve learned there I will carry with me for life.  For more information on B Meyer Training, which I HIGHLY endorse, check out BMeyerTraining.com!

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Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

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If you’re new to the site, I set out in August 2010 to get a game of 1-on-1 vs. my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  This site is about that journey…through every valley, to every mountain top of triumph! 

He’s NBA quick!

In a conceding tone, that’s how a buddy of mine described my brother’s quickness on the basketball court to his nephew.  He told me so at a recent lunch we had together.  He had wanted to play two on two, since his relative was in town, but wanted to make sure his family member was aware of exactly what he would be facing.

I listened, smiled, agreed and enjoyed lunch.

####

My brother is the quickest person I’ve ever played against.

I don’t hear it as much anymore, but back when he played, people would warn others about his quickness.  Watch his first step, switch he’s too quick, wow he’s quick, damn he’s fast, FU#*, are just a few of the things I’d hear from others on the days I wasn’t guarding him.

The friend I had lunch with hasn’t played basketball with my brother in over five years, but when you’re really QUICK people notice and they never forget.

####

About three months ago I checked the ball in bounds and thought I heard someone say in reference to me, “Watch him, he’s quick!”

So caught off guard by what my ears were telling me, I held the ball, looked over, and asked the person to repeat what they had just said.

With a puzzled look, the guy repeated it and confirmed my hearing.  I began to laugh.

No person had ever called me quick!

####

In my scope of playing basketball I was never quick.  I grew up playing ball with my brother.  Trying to drive by him was like running into a brick wall.  No matter the move, and no matter how determined I was, it was rare if I ever beat him to a spot.  It’s like he knew where I was going before I even began.

Instead I learned to shoot and shoot well.  I was the shooter in my family of two basketball players.  I left the quickness for him.

I’m Quick?

Shortly after I had my first “he’s quick” encounter at the basketball court, I called my brother for a laugh and began telling him the story.

When I finished recounting the story for him he said, “You are quick!”

He went on with, “besides me, how many people ever really stop you from getting somewhere on the basketball court?”

I thought about it and confirmed that no one really did.

He added, “and part of what helps me against you is the fact that I know your game better than anyone else ever will.  I know all of your tendencies.  I’ve seen it all so many times.”

I’m Quicker Than You!

What my brother shared with me made so much sense.  From that point on I changed the way I thought about my game and became quick!

Now, no matter the opponent, I go into it thinking that they can’t handle my quickness.

I’m QUICK!  Quicker than you!

Scope Abuse

I had unfortunately for most of my life mishandled the scope I had been given by being around such a quick player like my brother.

Instead of looking at it as, he’s really quick, but I’m quick too, I took the opposite approach.  I thought of myself as being slow.  I didn’t talk about it, but it’s how I felt.

My brother wasn’t only quicker than me, he was quicker than anyone else on the court on any day or night, but because he was my brother it seemed magnified to me.

It was probably like being Brad Pitt’s bro back when he was winning all of those best-looking man awards.  It would be hard to tell someone or accept that you’re handsome if BP was your bro.  Same thing with quickness.

I’m beyond that now!  Now I’m better looking than BP and QUICK!  Hahah!

“Everyone’s Quicker Than Me”

A good friend of mine that I play basketball with weekly has been making that proclamation lately.  When figuring up match-ups he always closes with, “but everyone’s quicker than me.”

The last time we played (the day I got injured), I stopped him and shared my story.  I told him to stop saying that and instead tell himself, THAT HE IS QUICK!

The Power of Being Positive

In life, about quickness, through my injury, in business, it really is key to be positive.  If you are like I was and secretly limiting yourself or maybe worse speaking it aloud as my friend was, YOU HAVE TO STOP SPEAKING NEGATIVITY INTO YOUR LIFE!

Words and belief shape everything!  Just as being positive can change your world for the greater, negativity can be a nightmare.  Most of the time we don’t realize just how much we are hurting ourselves.

Self Check

What have you been limiting yourself on?  Remember, the thought process you take into what you do is a powerful one.

My example:  When I didn’t think I was quick, subconsciously it affected how I played the game.  It changed the way I would attack on offense, etc.  Likewise, now that I feel I am quick, I attack with passion.  I attack ready to finish, because I know I will get where I want to go. (Friendly Warning:  If you haven’t played with me lately, but did in the past, I’m different.)

I hope you will take some time today and think about this.  Change the way you think about things and like me, become quick in your own way!

####

Injury Update

So it’s been over a week since my injury.  I am now fully off of crutches and walking (with a small limp) a little faster each day.

I’m working on getting in to see a MAT specialist as described in Tim Ferriss’ new book, The Four Hour Body.  I’ll keep you updated as to how that process goes.

Other than that, I’m just thankful I’m recovering and so excited to get out on the court again.  Until then, I’ll continue to work on my ball handling skills on my back porch!

Bottom line, you can’t get rid of me that easily Mr. Jordan!

Thanks again for all of the love and support!

Two Sunday afternoons ago, just a couple of days after being dominated by Robert Brown, I hurt my back as I attempted to show my brother how high I could jump.

Following numerous games of one-on-one between myself, my bro and a friend, I let pride and FACT take over.

My brother had taken a series of pictures of me and my friend playing against one another.   In each of the photos, both of us were not more than a few inches off of the ground at what he said were the “peaks” of our jumps.

Now, I will never be known by my jumping ability, but these pictures were ridiculous.   I felt like when the Magic brought in Dwight Howard for his pre-draft workout and “mis-measured” his jumping ability, prompting Dwight to barely jump and say at the same time, “they said I was right here” and touch the previously incorrect mark.  Funny stuff for sure! (click here to watch the video.  Go to 1:56 for the fun to begin.)

So I, like Dwight had done years before with the Magic, had to show my bro just how off his photos actually were.

Owww That Hurts!

Three jumps in and I felt a twinge in the right side of my back.

I woke up the next day and could barely get out of bed.

The Back History

Around 12 or 13 years ago I hurt my back when I slipped on a wet spot in a gym, going up for a lay-in.   Since that point, there have been a handful of times where I move the wrong way on the court and my back freezes up on me.

Add that to the fact that I have some scoliosis going on and well, my back was never made as one might find in an anatomy book.   No big deal, it’s what I’ve had my whole life.  I used to joke that had I not had scoliosis I would have been 6’6” like Jordan.

I saw the chiropractors and the massage therapists and nothing ever really seemed to help long term.  Rest was always the cure.

Not Too Concerned (I Can’t REST Now!)

So with that history, I wasn’t all that concerned even though pulling myself out of bed Monday morning was a struggle.   I had been through this all before.

Besides, how was I going to rest?  Mike Jordan wouldn’t rest!  I needed to work on my game!

By the evening, with the help of some Advil, I was loose enough I wasn’t going to let it stop me from getting my run in.   I ran my four miles, came home and relaxed and woke up Tuesday morning feeling the same way.  Stiff!

On Tuesday evening I decided not to play the normal half court games and instead work more on my one-on-one game with my brother.  It started off ok, then six points in, I could barely move.  It hurt to breathe.  I tried to push through, but was forced to stop.  My back was now worse than it had been!

My body had been telling me to slow down, but I didn’t listen, so my back said ENOUGH and slowed me down itself.

w-REST-ling with Rest

So for the last week I’ve been wrestling with resting to say the least.  Incapable of moving laterally, I have bit down and listened to my body.  I stopped all physical activity.  It hasn’t been easy though.

This past Saturday I was very close to going back out on the court to get some shots in, but after discussing with a few people, refrained.

A Health-y Appreciation

It’s sad that it seems to always take an injury for me to fully appreciate the part of me that is injured.

I suppose most people go through life the same way.   We run, jump, run faster and jump higher and think nothing of it until a sickness or injury halts our movement.  Then we WISH we could just run and jump, even a little.

I feel like I’m being hit over the head lately with making the most of each moment.   This injury, like my brother calling me out, has me so anxious to get out and make the most of each day.

I really can’t wait to get back on the court!

If You’re Healthy And You Know It Clap Your Hands!

Hanging out with my 19 month old niece lately has put a lot of those children songs in my head.

Beyond the songs, hanging out with a little kid who has only been running for a handful of months, and is still trying to figure out how to make her body do exactly what she wants it to do, can give unbridled perspective.

When she runs through my house, she runs all out.  She doesn’t hold back.  She doesn’t get tired.  She doesn’t want to be held.  She wants to RUUUUUUN!

A child appreciates everything because every single thing they are doing is so new.  It’s freedom.  It’s expression.  It’s fun.

Thirty three years of life can wear away at that.  Let’s be honest, it doesn’t even take that long.

Get Out And Move!

The point is, if you can get out and run today, do it.  A lot of people can’t.

If you can jump.  Get out from behind your desk right now and Jump!

If you can play basketball.  Go play!

There will always be time to clean the house and wash the clothes.  Always time to do some more work and make more money.   Always a reason NOT to take time to fully appreciate the gifts we’ve been given.

There WILL come a point in your life where you WON’T be able.

Don’t wait until then to “wish you could”.

GET OUT AND MOVE!

Note:  Below is a picture of the jump that hurt my back, but proof I can jump a little higher than a couple of inches.

Note: I just started a mevsMJ.com Facebook page.  If you like what I’m doing here, do me a favor and click the like button on the page too!   I’ve added a convenient way to do so here on the site, just to the right of this post.  Or you can go to the mevsMJ.com Facebook page by clicking here! Thanks!

Since you ARE taking time to read today though, I’m going to share a special secret of mine with you!

It’s something I’ve been doing for years that helps me keep proper perspective in all times and all circumstances.

7 Blessings (My Secret)

Whenever I’m not feeling great or when something happens that doesn’t go exactly the way I would like, instead of feeling down, I think of seven blessings in my life.

I don’t think of them later or in a few minutes. I do it right then, no matter what I’m doing.

Taking the little bit of time to think of seven blessings in your life will have you seeing properly again and back focused on the GOOD, not the bad.

That’s it.  That simple.

It’s one secret of mine that keeps me positive and seeing life the way it should be seen, with thankful eyes.

I hope it works as well for you as it has for me!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!