After nine extremely long days and nights that ranged from a mild soar throat and achy tiredness to a sinus infection that left me barely able to breathe or speak, I made my way back on the court this past Sunday and played the game I love.

Besides my injury, that had been the longest period of time I had gone without picking up a basketball in a little over a year.  While I think I handled my illness much better than I did when I was sick at almost the same time last year, I was beyond excited to be back to basketball and played surprisingly well, even if I wasn’t at 100%.

Last evening, as I headed back to the doctor’s office, I definitely second guessed my return to the court.  I felt drained and was still slightly congested, even though I had been on antibiotics and Mucinex-D since last Wednesday.  Perhaps the blowing of the nose in between games should have nudged me to understand I wasn’t quite ready to be playing, but it’s tough to stay away from something you crave, so I enjoyed every second.

As I sit at my computer at 3 am this morning (Tuesday morning) and type this, I gladly report that besides some heavy eyes from an inability to sleep, I’m feeling pretty good!

Still, I’ll probably give myself a couple of more days before jumping back into my normal basketball routine.

As you might have guessed, I can’t wait!

####

Falling Short on a Goal

I set out on October 21, 2010 with a lofty goal that most might have thought was unattainable.  I set out to make 100 Free Throws in a row.

365 days later, I didn’t get there.

Instead I got to 47 free throws in a row…just 47 percent of my yearly goal.

Why I Only Got to 47 Free Throws In A Row

Simple answer:  I didn’t work hard enough…at making Free Throws.

I often found myself struggling internally between standing at the free throw line shooting and doing some sort of move that would aid me in an upcoming 1-on-1 match-up.  The 1-on-1 conditioning won out, as this is a journey about me getting ready to play Michael Jordan 1-on-1 and thus I fell short of my goal.

Why I’m OK with 47 In A Row…For Now

I made 47 free throws in a row!  My previous high when basketball was my life (when I was younger) was 32, so I improved by 15 shots or almost 50% and became a far more consistent shooter over the last year.

Because of that I’m happy and feel I was successful, even if I didn’t get to my goal.

100 Free Throws In A Row…Here I Come!

Just because I didn’t meet my own deadline doesn’t mean I’m stopping.  I still want to make 100 in a row and there is no doubt in my mind that I will do so.

I haven’t set another completion date and I’m not sure that I will, but I WILL keep shooting and keep you updated on my progress!

Until next time, all the best and thank you for following along on my journey to play MJ!

Oh and if these words find your eyes and your healthy, be sure to appreciate your health!  I know I surely will!

I’m going back to bed!

It was game four of 2-on-2 this past Saturday.  After having scored eight points in a row, I was struggling.  I was gassed and couldn’t find my wind.

Hands on my knees, stripped of energy, I pleaded to my brother, my teammate, slow it down!

An hour and a half before I had been bent over and clutching my bathroom sink, throwing up.   I wasn’t feeling well, but I didn’t let my opponents know that.

When I got to the gym that morning, as I attempted to force down an energy gel pack, I mentioned to my brother in passing that I had been sick earlier.  I then proceeded to let him know that I’d be fine and walked onto the court to warm-up.

I wasn’t fine, but I wanted to play.  I needed to play.

Now in game four, that need, had me running on fumes.

Up 8-3, I made my way to the three-point line and received the inbounds pass.  As my brother began running to the opposite wing, in an almost whisper like tone, he said, “Michael Jordan.”

A thousand images flashed through my mind in a split second.  I saw MJ back in Utah, wrinkled jersey, playing not on energy, but with HEART!

I pump faked, jab stepped to the middle, and went hard left for the lay-in.

9-3.

Success in life isn’t as much about winning or losing, as it is about NOT QUITTING!

An amazing friend of mine posted the following quote on the mevsMJ.com Facebook page the other day:

“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.” – George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian.

Last Saturday, my body wanted to quit, but my MIND and my HEART would not allow it!

We played seven games that morning and won four of seven.  We battled when we WERE NOT at our best!  We battled when MOST might have quit.  We battled because SUCCESS doesn’t come easy.

When you fight through struggle, YOU APPRECIATE the good times even more!

At some point this weekend, I will walk out on the basketball court ready to play.  Because of what happened this past Saturday, I will know exactly what I’m capable of when my body screams at me, “You’re tired!!”

I will know that to QUIT is not an option in this journey.  To LET UP is what others do.  To fight through the pain is what WINNERS like Michael Jordan do!

Michaaaeeeeel Jorrrrrrdaaaan….

Who’s ready to get better?!?!  Who’s ready to fight for their dreams?!?!

me vs. MJ…the journey continues!

The “Flu Game”

Here is video of Michael Jordan’s incredible 1997 NBA Finals performance in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz.

httpvh://youtu.be/OLQl7UJOYUs

Definition of Sick:  Affected with disease or ill health.

Being sick is about as close to great as one baseline on a basketball court is to the other.

For those who don’t know their way around the game of hoops, when it comes to a basketball court the baselines are the extremes of each end.

Last week I did the following:

Monday:  Ran 5 miles in 36 minutes and 55 seconds (new personal best)!!!

Tuesday:  Played basketball for 1.5 to 2 hrs.  Caught fire in game four and lit some players up!  (That’s a good thing ;-))

Thursday:  Played more basketball.

The Warning!

I felt a bit worn down going into each of the above, but once I got moving, I was fine.

Then this happened

I woke up Friday morning extremely congested.  You know the swollen, tired eyes.  The can’t breathe, if you didn’t have a mouth you’d suffocate kind of congested.

I took some meds, called in sick and worked from home.

Everyone is sick

Everyone around me has been sick lately.

My whole family, down to my little niece Ava, has been sick with some vicious stomach bug for the last two weeks.  It has beat down one individual and right as they are about to get their strength back, it jumps to another and crumbles their defense like a Jordan fadeaway.

The last victim has been my Dad.

I guess that’s what comes with Autumn and flu/cold season.

The Doctor (A cold or allergies??)

At 2:30pm on Friday I went up to the local Centra Care (no appointment needed) and put my name in the lottery to see if I would be called.

Ok, it doesn’t really work like that, but being there three hours definitely made it seem that way on this trip.

The doctor ran me through some tests, typical stuff, before proclaiming that it appeared to be the “common cold.”

Tangent time (a new name for the “common cold”)

On a side note, why would you call something you can’t treat “common”?

Shouldn’t it be called the “Jordan”?

Think about it.  You know it’s coming, but you can’t stop it!

When asked, I’d much prefer to tell people, “Oh, I’ve got the Jordan!”

Back to Doc

So the doctor gave me a prescription for some antibiotics, along with a, “if it’s a cold, it’s not really going to matter so much,” and I was on my way.

I had hoped that maybe he would have said it’s just allergies, but he didn’t.

Frustration and Curves

In the last couple of months I’ve done everything possible to condition myself for the Impact Basketball training.

To say I was looking forward to it would be a great understatement.

I knew when this journey began there would be curves in the road.

Curve number one came up on me like the paparazzi does Kim Kardashian.  Outta nowhere!

In life, I handle curves fairly well, if I do say so myself.

I always think that God has a plan for me and that if I’m late, due to non-normal traffic flows, or anything out of the ordinary happens, that it is God’s way of directing me.

It’s my faith.  It’s what I believe.

Lack of Faith…My Ugly Truth

I didn’t handle this setback well at all.

I acted like a faithless, 14 month old that wanted his bottle and wasn’t going to be happy until he got it.

You know in the movies where people throw things?  That’s how I felt.

I wanted to throw and smash and scream.  Didn’t do any of those, but if I didn’t mind the clean up, I probably would have.

While I still posted things to Twitter and Facebook over the weekend like, “I hope I get healed today,” my faith was walking the tightrope and somewhere it fell off.

Not gonna make it

As the minute hand of the clock continued its run like a hamster on the wheel, the reality that I would not be going to Impact Basketball training this week became more and more clear.

I even tried to go up to the court Sunday afternoon by myself and work into a sweat, to see how I would do.

At the close of that all heart event, I knew it was time to reschedule my training.

Why Being Sick is Great

I titled this post, Being Sick is Great, because this curve in the road has reminded me.

It has reminded me where my focus should be.

It has shown me that while I have grown in some areas, I may have taken a step back in others.

Being sick has put me on a path to regain my focus in my faith.

That’s why being sick has been great.

Impact Basketball (Rescheduled)

Thankfully, Matt, down at Impact Basketball was very understanding of my situation.

When I asked about a possible need to reschedule, he wrote back:

“You just tell me when you are feeling better and are able to come in, and I will make it work.  Like I said from the beginning, I like what you are doing and am looking forward to working with you!”

So with those kinds words, I am now re-scheduled for the week of November 1st through the 5th.

Again, I can’t wait!!!

A dash of perspective

My goal is to regain my health and more importantly, my focus.

My hope is that early on the morning of November 1st, I will be headed to train.

If something else comes up though, then it does.

Curves in the road merely slow me, they don’t stop me.

Me vs. MJ…the journey continues!  Thank you again for following along!