MSI Press Blog

After 7 months in fitness training, working on core, biceps & triceps, and leg strength, I was just thinking to myself, "Wow, do I have a long way to go!" Why? Because I have been watching the latest city finals and gauging how, without mistakes (which all too frequently do happen), I would do at this point. (Of course, I have four more years of training to go -- the list of training needs and the list of what I can do should take quite a different shape by then). So, obstacle 1 in Philly: the archer stairs (that replaced the floating steps) -- probably not a problem (legs have been shaping up well, including jumping, skipping, running, and movement on a the Bosu ball). Casey Rothschihld, though, got caught traveling with the rope, and that dragged her back in the water. So, my experience at the ninja warrior training session with the rope tells me that I have the same problem. Therefore, not something to work on right now, but once I get to the point in my training...

The human ability to err comes through in American Ninja Warrior that I have watched. No missteps or a fixed error result in a run to glory. One simple misstep, and even the greatest warrior can fall from glory. Last night, Isaac Caldierno, one of only two ninjas to finish Stage Four at Mount Midoriyama, fell on one of the early obstacles in the Indiana city competition. Had he lost his touch? No. Had his muscles atrophied? No. Did his strategic thinking skills fail to keep up with the ever-evolving courses? No. Had he miscalculated the obstacle? No. Did he feel sick, confused, or distracted? No. He simply took a misstep—as we all do from time to time throughout life, sometimes metaphorically, sometimes literally. In other words, he is human. When Kacy Catanzaro made her way through tall poles rising from water, situated farther apart from each other than Casey could possibly reach, she did a quick calculation and jumped, managing to grab and hang on to the next pole. The c...