Jordanek balances school and sport

Twelve miles, seven meals, 3000 calories, three classes and one ice bath. That’s a day in the life of Tony Jordanek. Tony is a senior at Kent State, a marketing major and a member of the cross country team. This is his average day.

8:00 a.m – Open eyes, rub eyes, take a deep breath and prepare for a busy day. “I always get a lot of sleep. It’s important for our bodies and muscle growth.”

8:15 – After a glass of water and a quick change into running shoes and shorts, Tony leaves his Olympus Drive apartment and goes for a morning run.

8:20 – “A quick, easy” run of three to five miles around campus. For Tony, that means a six- to seven-minute per mile pace.

8:40 – First meal, breakfast: cereal, eggs, yogurt, a banana and some toast. “I don’t know many people who get up an hour before class to work out and make a big breakfast.”

8:50 – A hot shower and a change of clothes for class. “I always try to give myself a lot of time to get ready. I don’t just wake up fifteen minutes before class.”

9:15 – Walk to the Business Administration Building for first class, Personal Selling in Management.

10:30 – Second meal, mid-morning snack: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a fruit smoothie.

“I am a smoothie guy, and I love PB & J sandwiches. Whatever I choose, it’s always something healthy.”

10:35 – Head to training room inside the M.A.C. Center.

“I go to the training room inside the M.A.C. to get some stretching done, eat, chit-chat with coach or some of the other guys and relax before class for a bit.”

11:00 – Back to Business Administration Building for second class, Marketing Policy Strategy.

12:20 p.m. – Back to the apartment.

12:25 – Relax before a heavy practice by playing some Xbox. “I played some FIFA. Some days I like to relax and let loose, even if it’s for only 20 minutes.”

12:40 – Third meal, pre-practice snack: apple or fruit for extra energy for practice.

12:50 – Go to outdoor track for cross country practice.

1:00 – Beginning of three to four hours of practice with the rest of the cross country team. The team alternates between hard and easy days.

All in a day’s work Easy Day: Warm up: &bull Stretching. Workout: &bull “An easy” 4-10 mile run. &bull Stretching. &bull Circuit and core workout. “The circuit and core workout is quick lifting or movements to get your heart rate up. I like to hit everything. My chest, my back, my arms, my core. Everything.” Cool down: &bull Stretching Hard Day: Warm up: &bull Stretching Workout: &bull Intervals: training with high intensity, near maximum exertion periods followed by rest or low activity periods. &bull Hills &bull Tempo runs: Running to teach your body to run longer without tiring. n Repeats: Running 2 X 800 meters or 4 X 400 meters, taking a short break and repeating it. Cool down: &bull Stretching &bull Ice bath “The ice bath helps in muscle recovery, regeneration and soreness. It is a shock at first, but you know when you get out of a 52-degree ice bath, the rest of the day is cake.”

4:00 – Fourth meal, post practice recovery drink. A high-protein, calorie and carbohydrate drink.

“I love this stuff, its basically just super Gatorade. It is an end of a good day to get a drink of this stuff.”

4:30 – Back to the apartment.

4:45 – Fifth meal, post-practice snack: A can of tuna, and some cereal or a sandwich.

5:00 – Shower

5:15 – Head to Business Administration Building for final class of the day, Intermediate Finance.

6:55 – Back to the apartment.

7:00 – Sixth meal, dinner: chicken breasts, spaghetti and a vegetable on the side.

“We eat a lot of meals with carbs for energy and protein for our muscles. We eat very healthy and drink lots and lots of water. You won’t find any cross country team member drinking pop.”

7:25 – Homework. “I am in upper division classes, and I usually have around an hour of homework a night.”

8:25 – Movie: The Shawshank Redemption. “I own nearly 100 movies. I’m a big movie buff, and I love to watch them.”

10:15 – Play some FIFA 10.

“I may spend a lot of my day at practices and classes, but I still like to do something fun for myself, whether it be Xbox Live or watching a movie or hanging with my friends.”

11:40 – Seventh meal, bedtime snack: a small bag of healthy popcorn and a handful of pretzels.

12:00 – Climb in bed and get some sleep. “The team is very focused on sleep. Sleep is key and we all try to get a full nights rest every night.”

8:00 a.m. – Open eyes, rub eyes, take a deep breath and prepare for a busy day.

Kent State Cross Country Prepares for the MAC championship

If a No. 1 preseason ranking was not enough proof of the depth of the Kent State men’s cross country team, then it was its four victories in four meets. Coming off its four consecutive first place finishes, the men’s team is looking to win the M.A.C. championships this Saturday in Athens.

The men’s team also produced the individual winner at three of four meets this season.

The women’s team also has had a strong regular season with three finishes in the top-three. Walk-on junior Alex Lizarribar has led the team with two second place finishes and one win.

Lizarribar said the team has high expectations for Saturday.

“We’re ready to leave it all on the course,” Lizarribar said. “I personally expect myself to just run my heart out to help the team.”

Contact sports reporter Brian Thursby at [email protected].