Welcome to the Sky

Most people know that I have always wanted to go skydiving. I have talked about it many times. As the years passed, I watched as acquaintances and friends went and later posted their pictures. Eventually, I grew tired of procrastinating and waiting for friends to come with me. Most people were too scared to do it, so I decided to take matters in my own hands.

Back in October of 2008, I heard that the Chicago Sports and Social Club had an outing for skydiving from a friend. I looked into it and decided to sign up. I made an early morning bus trip with tons of strangers out to the Western Suburb of Hinckley, IL, home of Chicagoland Skydiving Center. After a promising morning, clouds settled in and we never got the chance to go due to the weather. However, I had signed all the paperwork, paid all the fees, and taken the basic training. So I left with a debit like card full of my skydiving credits. It was good for one year.

For many months during the Winter and Spring I thought about that card and when I could return to make my jump. I was just waiting for favorable weather conditions.

Once May rolled around, a few things caused me to schedule my jump. First of all, my good friend, Jake, was skydiving out in Cali with his little brother. Secondly, I heard that Jay Niice and Julian from Chicago's B96 jumped over a weekend. This made me realize that I had to take action. So the next Monday, I took a break from working and called CSC. I took a chance and scheduled a jump for Sunday. I then waited nervously all week watching weather.com. The forecast was sunny, then rainy, and finally sunny again right before the big moment. I was set, there would be no weather delays this time.

I drove out to Hinckley early on a Sunday morning. I checked in at the desk and within fifteen minutes I was called out to the hanger. In a whirl of events, I was suited up, and had a harness tied around me. I briefly met my skydiving instructor and quickly had the camera man interviewing me. They joked about being scared and dying, but I was never really worried. I had dreamed about this moment on many nights. Some nights it was a pleasant freefall while other nights were terrifying nightmares. Either way I was ready.

I was quickly ushered out to the plane. It turns out that I was added last minute to a flight full of hard core jumpers. I sat in the small, cramped plane flanked by my instructor and camera man.

As the plane elevated, I watched the dial altimeter's needle slowly move. It quickly went from zero to 15000 feet. It was at this point that everything started to come together. Everyone starting filing to the front of the plane. I watched as they nonchalantly dropped out of the side door. They made it look easy. I strapped onto my instructor and we waddled to the side door. My camera man hung on to the outside of the plane, waiting for us to drop. I looked down and saw countryside way below. This was the time where most people would freeze up. The time their brains would scream "No, don't do this!" To be honest, I didn't have much time to think or resist. My instructor counted to three and before I knew it we were on our way out of the plane. It was a total shock, I couldn't quite comprehend what was happening since I was tumbling.

Eventually I came to a stable position, facing the ground. The instructor tapped my shoulder which meant I could spread my arms and legs. The feeling of flying was exhilarating. The sound of air was whisking past my ears. I was screaming and yelling, but like in space no one else could hear me. The one thing that shocked me was the fact that I couldn't really breathe. I definitely wasn't ready for that. I played around with the camera man, trying to grab his hand and use him to spin myself. It wasn't long before play time was over. The instructor showed me his digital altimeter, which meant it was time to deploy the parachute.

Now before taking off I made sure to see the bright orange ripcord handle on the instructor's hip. For the life of me, I didn't quite remember where the handle was while falling thousands of feet toward the earth. I searched for a bit and just as I saw it, the instructor pulled it. Before I knew it, I was shot upward with the parachute overhead.

I also had the preconceived notion that the parachute descent would be scary for me. I believed freefall would be less scary than being slowly suspended so high off the ground. Rather it was a peaceful journey down. I liked looking below and seeing the lay of the land as well as the other skydivers landing in the field.

Soon, the ground was closing in. I watched and realized for the first time how fast we were really descending. It was kind of scary to think how fast you fell even with a parachute on. I lifted my legs and we slid into a landing. As I sat on the ground, I was dazed and lost in a natural high. It was one of those feelings you had after being on a thrilling roller coaster. I had realized what I had just done.

Skydiving is a thrilling adventure. I am glad I did it, and I recommend it to everyone else as well.

King of Pop

Today, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson passed away.

Despite his eccentricities and scandals, there is no denying that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest music artists and performers to ever live. His resume speaks for itself. He first burst out on the scene as the precocious lead singer of the Jackson 5, displaying a powerful voice and funky dance moves. He later went solo releasing "Thriller" which is the best selling album of all time worldwide. He revolutionized music videos with long epic storylines and dance numbers as seen in the video for the "Thriller" single. His dance movies were smooth, innovative, and jaw dropping. How many people could pull off the "Smooth Criminal" lean, jumping on to their tippy toes, or 720 degree spin moves? People the world over (including myself) are still trying to figure out the moonwalk.

Michael Jackson is one of those people whose name and persona is known all over the world. His influence is readily apparent in music and popular culture. Why else would people wear white socks with high waters or single sequenced gloves? Also without Michael Jackson, there would be no Usher or Chris Brown. It's that simple. He really was larger than life.

When I look back on Michael Jackson, a few key moments will always come to mind. I will recall the little boy in hippie stylings singing "I Want You Back" (my favorite J5 song). I will remember him lighting up the floor tiles in the music video of "Billie Jean." Finally, I will always see the live performance of "Billie Jean" for Motown 25 where he first publicly busted out the moonwalk on national television.

His style, moves, and music will always live on.

Video of Motown 25 "Billie Jean" Performance

It's been awhile....

It's been awhile since I have posted to this blog. Well the good news is that I have decided to become more motivated, and I have more material to write upon.

With that said, I will start with a movie recommendation. When I took my trip to Asia, I watched a few movies. One such film was "The Express." I have seen many sports movies, and I would say this is one of the best ones. It's kind of like a football version of "Glory Road" (the second best basketball movie) since it deals with college athletics and racial issues centered upon black athletes. I liked the depiction of 50s college life and the scenes showing the football games. They were shot in a way that was not overly flashy or sensational. It had a nice balance to it. Plus the story of the first black football player (Ernie Davis) to win the Heisman trophy while gunning for the National Title held my interest.

I have one warning though. This movie is more than just about football. It is a bittersweet story of one man's life. A story that will move you and make you reflect.

Temporary Repreive

This weekend, those of us in Chicago were given a nice surprise: temperatures in the 30s and40s. For a brief moment we were treated to temperatures above the freezing point. After a long unwanted stay, the ice and snow were forced to relent. It gave us a glimpse into what Spring and Summer could bring once again.

It's amazing how things that were once mundane and taken for granted suddenly transform into being fresh and appreciated after a long absence. I mean after having to endure a temperature of -15 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 degrees Fahrenheit really doesn't feel so bad. So 40 degrees Fahrenheit felt awesome. I suppose this is what people mean by relativity. I guess going through the worst of extremes makes you realize how well you had it in the first place.

Coach Tiller

It was a cold Thursday in Chicago. Cowboy Joe was standing on the grass of Soldier Field taking a picture for the press. He was smiling and a flanked by his two greatest proteges, Drew Brees and Kyle Orton. Joe Tiller had made a postseason stop in Chicago to watch his two star pupils go head to head as NFL starting quarterbacks. He was just stopping by before he rode off into the Montana sunset.

Coach Tiller had just completed his final season as Purdue's football coach after 12 seasons. This last season had been a disappointing losing season, but Tiller went out a winner in his last game with a smashing victory over intrastate rival Indiana.

It's hard to fully appreciate the impact that coach Tiller had upon Purdue and the Big Ten. He came to a Purdue program in 1997 that had been a losing program for 13 years. He completely changed Purdue's offense from a running based attack to his fabled "basketball on grass" spread assault. This offensive makeover was seen by other coaches in the Big Ten as ridiculous. The Big Ten played in harsh weather conditions and most teams followed the "three yards and a cloud of dust" mold popularized by Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler. The coaches thought Joe was crazy and that the spread would never work.

The other coaches look silly now. Boy were they wrong about Joe and his offense. After falling flat against MAC school Toledo in his first game, Purdue came out and beat out traditional power Notre Dame (Purdue had been ND's punching bag for many years) in a program changing victory. They went on in that first year to post a winning record of 8-4 and then win the Alamo Bowl. It was the first bowl game for Purdue in 13 years.

Joe furthered his success in the next few years. With little known, undersized Drew Brees as his quarterback, Tiller coached the Boilermakers to more winning seasons making the Alamo and Outback bowls. However, his crowning accomplishment came in 2000. That year Purdue beat Big Ten powers, Ohio State and Michigan, going on to become Big Ten co-champions and earning a berth to the prestigious Rose Bowl. Brees also did well that year. He was a Heisman finalist and won the Maxwell Award as Football's most outstanding player.

When Brees graduated, Tiller made tall, rocket armed Kyle Orton his quarterback. With Orton, Purdue continued to have winning seasons. They went to the Sun Bowl multiple times as well as the CapitalOne Bowl. However, they suffered a heart breaking, program changing loss against Wisconsin in 2004.

The next few years would be tough for Coach Tiller. Without a superb quarterback to lead his attack, he suffered 2 losing seasons in 4 years. He also had problems keeping players under control as many legal troubles and attitude issues ate away at his team. It was clearly the decline of his success with Purdue Football. As the pressure on him mounted, Joe agreed 2008 would be his last season before retirement. He then picked former assistant, Danny Hope, to succeed him and serve as his apprentice during the 2008 season.

Tiller left the Big Ten having opened some eyes. He had made Purdue a respectable Football team that was accustomed to winning and bowl games. In 4 seasons, he took Purdue from Big Ten cellar dweller to a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl berth. Also in 2008, it was noted that the stodgy Big Ten had changed a lot too. 8 teams of 11 (including powers Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State) now ran some form of the wide open spread offense. He was now known as an offensive innovator within the Big Ten conference.

As coach Tiller eases into fly fishing and retirement, I give my sincere thanks. He practically made something out of nothing with Purdue Football. He also coached many players who would go on to NFL success. Cowboy Joe will always be known as a good and beloved coach to his players and fans.

Picture Perfect

It's funny to note how people react when you tell them their picture will be taken. They usually get nervous and self conscious. The reactions span from people putting on serious faces, taking off glasses, primping and preening their hair beforehand, and even displaying real live action poses haha. Many people ask to see the picture and want another one if they feel it doesn't put their best foot forward. In a way it shows how many people are very self conscious (we all are to an extent). It also shows how we are often our own worst critics (it's not as bad as you think, really). However, the importance we put on pictures also belies the fact that in our society, perception is very key when it comes to making a favorable impression on others.

When I had my picture taken today, I am sure it wasn't ideal. However, I never think of it being that big of a deal anymore. I know that if I flash my smile, it will be good enough to represent me.

Tough as Nails: David Goggins

A few weeks back I received the latest issue of "Runner's World" in the mail. The most interesting feature of the magazine was a section entitled "Running Heroes." The section consisted of one page write ups for various running figures like distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie and Olympic sprint phenom Usain "Lightning" Bolt. Among these heroes was a person I had never heard of before. His name was David Goggins.

David Goggins is a US Navy SEAL. After experiencing the loss of a few friends in missions gone awry in Afghanistan, he decided to dedicate part of his life to raising money for the children of his fallen comrades. A highly motivated individual, David googled the "10 hardest things to do in the world" and decided he wanted to complete the Badwater ultramarathon for himself and for his charity cause.

There were a few kickers about this situation. First of all, the Badwater ultra is known as one of the toughest endurance events in the world. It's a 135 mile race held in the July heat that begins in Death Valley, California and rises in elevation up to the portal of Mount Whitney. Secondly, although David Goggins is a Navy SEAL, he had never ran a marathon, let alone an ultramarathon.

David asked the race director to let him enter the race. The director told him he needed ultramarathon experience first. So David looked quickly for his first ultramarathon race. He soon entered the San Diego 24 hour 100 miler. Despite breaking metatarsal bones in both feet and suffering kidney failure (he urinated blood), David managed to finish the 100 mile race in about 19 hours. Ten days later, he amazingly ran the Las Vegas marathon in 3:08. His career as an endurance athlete and philanthropist had begun.

David went on to place well in many races including the vaunted Badwater ultra. He even placed second in the 2006 Ultraman Championships, a double ironman race held over the course of a few days. All the while, David has raised around $200,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which provides college scholarships to the children of fallen special operatives.

A few things are evident from reading David's story and website. First of all, David is obviously extraordinary in his ability to endure and tolerate pain. He is motivated by discovering how far he can push his limits. To me, he is definitely one of the most inspiring individuals because of his toughness and his commitment to his cause.

If you would like to read more about David, check out these links:
http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/content/content.jsp?contentId=content3808
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-408--12944-0,00.html
http://the100mileman.com/davidgoggins/

Here's a link to David's charity cause, Special Operations Warrior Foundation:
http://www.specialops.org/