taraje.com

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What’s New
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I have been moving full speed for the past few days. Between training, scouting, sleeping and media, I have been swamped.

Pedro’s Judo Center threw myself, Ronda and McCormick a wonderful send-off yesterday. We had the opportunity to teach a short session, sign autographs, thank Team FORCE Jim Sr. and Jimmy Pedro as well as receive a citation from both The Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate. Great day, but a long day. This all took place right before practice.

I have been on the phone for hours upon hours talking to the press and some of the stories are already out. There is a new spotlight on NBCOlympics.com, which has to be one of the best articles I have read in a while, but I may be bias.

I am this weeks focus of the CNN Blog, Young People Who Rock. Be sure to visit the site and post a comment and/or question because I will be doing a video interview at the end of the week answering question that have been posted. It really is an honor and I am excited about the interview.

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Back in NY
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I am exhausted. I am in New York for a couple days to do some interviews and to MOVE HOME. I moved all of my stuff from Wakefield today, except for what I will be taking to Beijing. This was after our 7am practice this morning.

The media I have scheduled for tomorrow should be great, but as always I will give notice when it is available for you to view. I haven’t posted in a while, but unfortunately I am swamped and still have a lot to do, so this one will be short.

On another note, Thank You all who purchased Beyond The Rings in its first month on sale. We seem to be doing well, but it is very important that I get some feedback from those of you whom have already watched. Please go here —->HERE<----- and tell me what you thought about BTR.

I have yet to do my run for the day. I must go.

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The Judo Crusader
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Rhadi is in town. He arrived this afternoon on a mission. We have spent the last few hours scouting ONE player. Just one. We jumped right into it and really set the pace for the next couple of days he will be training me here in Wakefield, MA.

I have been doing a lot of roadwork and judo practice the last week since returning from Spain. The next few weeks will change a bit with some heavier training that will really be intense, tiring and difficult. It is good to have Rhadi in town to make the changes to my program, and have some very specific extrinsic motivation in practice to stay in line with the plans we outline in the scouting reports.

Before Rhadi leaves on Wednesday, I will get both him and Jimmy in the same room so that we can mastermind and finalize my plans for possible draws at the Games. Good preparation like this relieves a lot of the stress and increases my confidence a lot.

This is what we have been working toward for the past few years and everything will be in line for August 9th.

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Two Weeks Left
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I only have two weeks left here in Wakefield. We leave for China twelve days before I fight, so I will be training until the last days I am here. I had today off of serious work and already feel rejuvenated. Good thing because I expect this coming week to be extremely tough.

Beyond The Rings, baby!

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Week 1
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The first full week of training is over here in Wakefield and it was tough. Intensity is at an all time high right now. The judo practices have stepped up a notch, and my roadwork has been bordering on insane. Training on the edge.

I have been swamped for time with media and a speaking engagement this past week for John Hancock. By the time Friday rolled around I was truly exhausted.

It is tough to think that this week is going to be even tougher. Rhadi is actually arriving into Boston tomorrow for a couple days to do some preparation with me. I know it will get me on the right track for the next few weeks and with his help on my scouting I will feel a lot more comfortable.

I also got my training partner Gerhardt back today. He will be staying through July as we prepare, and I am anticipating a special guest this week that I will reveal later.

Overall I am pushing hard, feeling the pain, but happy with how things are going. My weight is as good as it has been in months which made for some tough practices earlier in the week, but I look forward to them getting better now that I am back to cutting weight.

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BTR
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Do remember, Beyond The Rings is in its first month on sale. If you don’t buy it to support me, buy it because it has some really great content, or because it could adjust your way of thinking and put you above the competition. If those aren’t good enough reasons, buy it because it’s only $14.95, the best bang for your buck on the market.

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In The News
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In the coming weeks I will have some great media content coming out. I will definitely keep you posted on where you can find it as it becomes available.

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26 days
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Only 26 days until the Games begin and I don’t feel any pressure. This is one of the most relaxed training cycles I have had all quad. I mentioned before trials that training for the Worlds and Olympics are the most challenging, but also the easiest to make it though and the most fun because of the potential reward at the end of the pain.

I am having fun finishing walking the path that we set out so many months ago. The excitement is building though as opening ceremonies approaches and the feeling of walking into that stadium starts to re-emerge. This may be the best time of my life.

Through all of that, for some reason I keep thinking about eating food after making weight. I have been dieting for a long time and it gets difficult at times. I said after Athens that I would not make -60kg ever again, and I wound up fighting in the Worlds a year later. I am pretty sure I am done this time.

For now, it is just maintenance. Get up in the morning and make sure those numbers on the scale are the same as they were the day before… and keep it moving.

Time for bed.

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Welcome Home
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I did my best to prepare for training here in Wakefield. I ran while I was in Europe. I started my diet strict as soon as I got back. I did judo on Sunday to shake the jet lag off. Regardless, I was put through the grinder on Monday.

I have some pretty extreme financial issues that I am dealing with that I am sure are affecting my training. I had a horrible run on Monday morning as well. This is how it goes though. My weight is on the way down so I can’t expect to feel great. I am sure that by the end of the week I will feel like the Champ again.

Also, the difference between European and American training has never been more obvious. The ligaments in my fingers are rubber bands already. Warming my hands up is a necessary chore now.

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Training
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I was talking with one of my team mates after practice last night about how much fun this is. It really is the most fun you can have, but it is also some of the most painful and joyous times. It is only fun because of those extreme emotions, which in turn makes it unbearable as well. A beautiful scenario.

The sacrifice is easy when you see the Gold at the end of the tunnel.

Thank You to everyone who has already purchased and watched Beyond The Rings. I couldn’t be happier with the feedback up until now, so if you haven’t ordered your copy, be sure to grab a few today.

Beyond The Rings qualifies as mandatory viewing prior to the Olympics. You can really watch the games in a different light. You can really understand the emotion, passion, and burning desire that allows for apparently super human feats.

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Side Note
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I have a couple media appearances this week. I will give notice when I have some air dates and where you can go to check me out!

Thank You Lia Hatashita for your generous donation this week!

TTYS,

Taraje Williams-Murray
‘04 & ‘08 Olympian
2x World Team
4-Time National Champion
http://www.taraje.com
http://www.BeyondTheRings.com

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Last Few
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My last few days here in Spain have been good. I have gotten the rounds in with the European Olympic qualifiers. I am happy with what this week has given me.

I had one rough practice yesterday that didn’t end well. I went a round with the number two Spanish 66kg player. I got him early in the round, but towards the end he got the best of me, threw me twice, and just generally pushed me around. I was pissed.

It sucks when that happens, especially towards the end of the camp because it kind of sits with you, and you can’t do anything about it.

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Team USA
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I got the male Team together after practice one day to take this photo. We are in our element.

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July 4th
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It is 4am here in Spain. I am pretty tired and it may be why its so hard to keep my thoughts in line. I didn’t realize it until someone reminded me that today is Independence Day. This may be the longest 4th of July ever for me since I will spend the next 10-14 hours traveling, and arrive in Boston at 1pm.

I was thinking about what the 4th of July means to me. Unfortunately, right now it doesn’t mean too much for me since it will be like any other day. I’ll get home and take a run to keep my weight down, and finish off my scouting from this trip.

Even though I will celebrate the 4th by jogging, you can celebrate by grabbing a copy of Beyond The Rings. I wish that I could have an Independence Day Sale, but at $14.95 Beyond The Rings is so inexpensive, it is already “on sale.”

So we will call this weekend my “I wish I was having a sale - sale.” Visit the Beyond The Rings site and purchase your copy. After you watch BTR, be sure to visit taraje.com or e-mail me at taraje@taraje.com to let me know what you think.

Til next time,

Taraje
2004 & 2008 Olympian
2X World Team
4X National Champion

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Ne-Waza
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What a few days this has been. I had one of the best practices ever this morning. I went with some of the best in the world this morning, and absolutely dominated them on the mat. Not only was it satisfying, but I made it happen by predicting having an amazing practice the night before. How great is that.

We all know practice is only a small indicator of how a match may go in competition, but good ones sure do keep the Alpha dog happy.

Although every practice cannot be amazing, it is nice to ride the good ones. It gives you a taste of your work coming to fruition. You can see things going your way on the day that matters, and all the sacrifice transforms into the reward.

I still haven’t been able to sleep at night so I have quite a few hours to catch up on. I was unable to read The Prince before dinner because I almost fell asleep while reading.

Half way through.

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Practice 1
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Today started off rough for me. I hadn’t practiced in a few days so starting to workout felt like my heart was going to come out of my chest. We started with three rounds of Ne-Waza, before starting Tachi for another five rounds.

Just so you know, this camp is probably the hottest, in temperature, of any in Europe. It is right on the beach, which is cool. Although it is only about 80 degrees F, once practice starts it jumps up about 10-20 degrees inside the gym.

It makes for some difficult rounds, and everyone is just trying to make it through without passing out. This morning, someone actually did faint and need attention. This is why I have had serious problems with cramping here.

After the second round this morning I felt like my breakfast was going to come up. I have only vomited once from working out, which we just happened to get on tape one morning in Florida. I didn’t give up the ghost this morning. I made it through the round and Burt, the Team Leader, got some ice for Taylor and I to use to cool down. I wouldn’t have made it through without it.

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Practice 2
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Tonight was only seven rounds of Tachi-waza. It was not a very good practice for me. I felt a lot better than this morning, but a lot of the top players took the night off. When you combine that with the fact that the practice thins out after four to five rounds, it makes it tough to get rounds with t

Tomorrow morning should be a very good practice since everyone should be on the mat.

My first round tonight was brutal. It is easy to break a sweat, but you are not really relaxed and loose the first round. Well from the first gripping sequence this guy made it clear that we were going hard. It got heated a couple times.

It wasn’t just me though. I saw this guy get into it with another player as well. You have to love it though.

It has been difficult to get sleep and I still owe my body some. No sooner than we ate lunch and laid down for about 30 minutes, it was time for the second practice. But, you have to keep it moving.

I will sacrifice time, sleep, comfort, pleasure and whatever else it takes to achieve my goal. Today was only the first day, but I can feel the electricity of preparing for the games. Right now I have to spend some time on my scouting reports. I could fall asleep right now, but this is exactly what we talk about in Beyond The Rings.

There is no choice.

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To Spain
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I am on the last leg of my trip to Barcelona after a long flight into London Heathrow and a night in London before a bus ride to Gatwick. The camp is located in Casteldefells on the coast of Spain. It has been a long damaging 24 hours. It is nearly impossible to keep my diet while traveling in Europe. I am running on about 4 hours of sleep in the last day. I haven’t reached my breaking point of irritability yet, but I am getting there.

Luckily the camp starts tomorrow so hopefully when I get in, I can take a jog and get a good night’s sleep tonight. This Spain camp is the last place I had serious cramping problems due to the extreme heat during the practices. If you have noticed, Rhadi has been able to nearly eliminate my cramping problems. The goal was to minimize them, but in extreme circumstances, there is no way to prevent it.

All I can do is stay hydrated, and use my time on the mat efficiently. I have heard some rumors about how many countries will be at this camp. Historically it is one of the better training camps in Olympic years. The best competitors are usually here, but it hasn’t been as popular in past years. We will find out tomorrow morning.

Unfortunately I have been traveling for the past few days. I hope you haven’t forgotten that my first DVD, Beyond The Rings was released this week for only $14.99, with free shipping. I hope you have already ordered your copy. Beyond The Rings is a rare opportunity to take a look at the sacrifice it takes to make an Olympic Team. Experience the ups and downs for a fraction of what it cost me to live them.

I have been planning out my next month of training, and my exit strategy for after the Olympics. I have to confront a hefty balance at Boston University within the next few weeks so that I may register for the Fall semester. It is a bit difficult because I feel like I should only be thinking of judo and preparing for the Games, but only doing that would be irresponsible.

Just arrived at the hotel.