Do the Work: Why Athletic Success Demands Precision and Commitment

The Aaron & EJ Podcast 2026

In the world of competitive sports, talent alone isn’t enough. The difference between good athletes and great ones often comes down to a simple principle: doing the work. But what does that really mean? According to coaches Eric Johnson and Aaron Thigpen, it’s not just about showing up—it’s about executing with precision, intention, and unwavering commitment.

The Problem with Half-Measures

Many athletes today are falling into a dangerous trap: they’re picking and choosing which parts of their training to complete. They modify workouts based on how they feel, skip components they find challenging, or reduce the intensity without consulting their coaches. This selective approach to training is a form of self-sabotage that undermines the entire process.

The recipe analogy perfectly illustrates this issue. You can’t bake a cake by leaving out ingredients or substituting key components and expect the same result. Similarly, when coaches design training programs, every element serves a specific purpose. Removing or modifying parts of the workout fundamentally changes the outcome.

The Information Age Paradox

We live in an era of unprecedented access to information, but this abundance creates its own challenges. Athletes can easily find counter-narratives to their coach’s […]

Do the Work: Why Athletic Success Demands Precision and CommitmentGame2026-03-03T12:29:25-08:00

The Payback Chronicles – Blog #3 The Gambler

BLOG #3

Day Two

60m Finals & Long Jump

The evening before I’m icing, Normatec pants, hydrating, Motrin, doing all the things to get the hammy right. Not a pull but sore. I long jump at 8am and race the 60m final at 9:11am. In that time I have to get six long jump attempts in right before the race. Long jumping is explosive and can take a lot out of the legs, sprint 30m as fast as you can and jump. I gotta figure how I’m going to navigate this.

Get to the stadium 7am, warmups go ok, no long sprint, made that mistake yesterday. Leg seems serviceable…ok lets do this. Go to the check-in desk told to come back in thirty minutes. I go do some more warmup in an area away where its quiet and I can focus…come back in 30…I’m here to check-in…Mr. Thigpen you missed the call…jumpers have been sent out already…you can’t compete…WTF are you talking about lady? Never missed a call in 50 years of competing, I’m too anal about it and my watch is four minutes […]

The Payback Chronicles – Blog #3 The GamblerGame2026-03-03T23:24:25-08:00

The Payback Chronicles – Blog #2 “Plus Ones” & “Teflon”

BLOG #2

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

So this is a little different, let me tell you about my plus ones or more accurately plus two. What I mean by that is I got a couple of buddies and friends that are traveling to compete as well. The first is my long time college buddy, roommate and best friend Andre F. I was able to talk Andre into competing at last year’s us Nationals in the 60 meters and he did well. This year he’s back and two adages come to mind; “be careful what you wish for” and “why bring sand to the beach?” Why? because this guy is going to be competitive. All throughout college (San Diego State) we ran neck and neck in our sprint races. Why in my right mind would I want to relive that now? Well, because I love this guy and I love competition and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now my second plus one I think is a great story he’s actually a client of mine Tony J. I train his two kids. We somehow got on the topic of Master’s track and he […]

The Payback Chronicles – Blog #2 “Plus Ones” & “Teflon”Game2026-03-02T12:01:31-08:00

The Payback Chronicles – Blog #1- Make A Right at Albuquerque

Well here we go again, time to “Bring Toe To The Line!! Just my way of saying its race time. I’m off to the Masters National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I aways smile when I say Albuquerque because it reminds me of the old Bugs Bunny cartoons as a kid.

Last season my blog was entitled “The Comeback Chronicles” due to the fact that I took a 11 year hiatus from competing. This year I’m calling this blog the “Payback Chronicles”. (I’ll explain in the next blog). If you want to revisit my adventures from last season you can check out the Comeback Chronicles here.

So to set the stage, I had rotator cuff surgery in July, I tore it racing at the World Indoor Championships last April while running the 60m. What I thought was a strain was a full tear and so I got the surgery done at the end of July. I had a great surgeon, (Dr Damon Jon Ng). We spoke weeks later after the surgery and he told me a little story. The day of my surgery they wheeled me in, I was drugged up, out cold and their getting ready to open […]

The Payback Chronicles – Blog #1- Make A Right at AlbuquerqueGame2026-02-27T14:30:24-08:00

My Comeback Chronicles #6- Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Can you be exhausted and recharged at the same time?

All in all no regrets, well except one it happened at the awards ceremony when they handed out the gold medal. They gave away a tiny plush alligator (Games Mascot?), I did a double take….man, I would have loved to give that to my three year old grand-daughter …..sorry Tink….Pop Pop didn’t realize what was at stake.

So to put the indoor season in context I won the US Nationals at 60m with a time ranked second in the world overall, Silver in the 60m at the World Championships, and fourth in the Long Jump. Inches separating me and my competitors. So not to bad for doing the whole “rip van winkle” thing for the past 13 years. So fuck you track gods, fate or whoever, as far as I’m concerned the medals were the prizes but the rewards are the stories and memories that will stay with me forever.

It was great to be welcomed back into the masters community by old friends and new, David Jones, Kevin Biggers, Clinton Aurelia, Robert Thomas, Henry Landry, Bill Collins, Val Barnwell, Tony Di Salvo, Alan Sims, Francios Boda and […]

My Comeback Chronicles #6- Final ThoughtsGame2025-04-07T12:47:38-07:00

My Comeback Chronicles #5 – Long Jump – Playing in the sand

Long jump competition-Playing in the sand FUN and Unfinished business

First a funny little story. I was a junior in highschool, dual meet competition, I’m on the runway. I motor down as fast as I can, I’m about to jump and I catch my spike!! Easy to do with the nails we wore back then for dirt tracks, I trip and go flying superman style into the pit face first! Easily sliding 17ft, least they coulda marked it. It was embarrassing but all I could do was brush the sand out of my face, hair and shorts I shrugged and laughed with everyone else….that’s track.

For the most part the sprints are business but the jumps are pleasure. It scratches two itches, one its just plain fun and two I regret not pursuing it fully as a younger athlete.

Now this may be blasphemy for the Long Jump(LJ) purists but I like the idea of “sector” take off points versus hitting the board. Just quickly, for those who don’t know the LJ requires a great combo of speed, skill and jumping ability to run, hit the takeoff board (20 in wide) […]

My Comeback Chronicles #5 – Long Jump – Playing in the sandGame2025-04-03T10:30:27-07:00

My Comeback Chronicles Blog Post #4 Taking on the World

Blog Post #4 Taking on the world

THE TRIP

I own rental property, most everyday out of the year things are great but let me leave this time zone and something bounds to happen…. whether its a volcano erupting and hot lava running down my driveway, a zombie horde, or Godzilla fighting Mothra on my front lawn you can bet its gonna happen at my place. So I’m used to that curveball. At nationals last month it was a busted water heater. This time a I got a different kind of pitch.

Of the 40 years Ive been flying all over he world, Ive never missed my initial outgoing flight. Well, your boy did this time. Being the planner that I am I had purchased the flight months ago. During that time the airline had made changes to the flights due to changes in their flying schedules, booking me on alternate flights. I in turn made my own changes as well. Well with all the back and forth in my mind I was locked into my initial itenerary, an overnight flight Saturday into Sunday. Well I forgot I made the change to flying Saturday […]

My Comeback Chronicles Blog Post #4 Taking on the WorldGame2025-04-03T10:46:20-07:00

My Comeback Chronicles #3- The Preparation

Ok kids, I riddle you this? What can be against you, but yet on your side?…………TIME!!

Good conscience, Bad timing…Tick…Tock…

Sometimes “life be lifing” too hard and you can’t get anything done or at least the way you want to. A couple weeks ago I had the unfortunate experience of having to come to the aid of a long time acquaintance who fell on hard times. Having been through something similar, dimentia, with my mom, eldercare can be time consuming and emotionally draining. Note to self do not get old and do not get old alone. Lets just say the safety net of social security, has lots of holes in it. Today’s system for eldercare is ridiculous to say the least and woefully inadequate for most, so I’ll say less. My advice save your money, lots of it, be nice to people, don’t break relationships, fix them with your family and friends. To be old, broke and alone is tragic.

Side thought- Is it true humanity if good deeds are only done when its convenient?

Anyway… I’m not sure I’ve gotten everything in I’d hope too to be completely prepared. I have had basically three weeks. The last 7-10 days prior […]

My Comeback Chronicles #3- The PreparationGame2025-03-24T19:26:40-07:00

My Comeback Chronicles #2-It’s The Shoes…hmmm

This blog post is dedicated to my father John Thigpen, who when he came to a meet proudly and affectionately used to call me “twinkle toes,” unfortunately at times a little too loudly and in front of the wrong company………………..gee,..thanks dad.

Some of you are old enough to remember an early Nike JORDANS commercial staring Spike Lee, where concerning Mike’s greatness he says; “It’s the shoes”.

Well, I never bought into it, I’ve never even owned a pair of Jordan’s (don’t take my black card). Honestly, I couldn’t afford them until my thirties and never saw the use of spending $300 on shoes I wasn’t gonna play basketball in. My money was gonna be wasted on more productive vices, like video games!!!

Recently I made a bet with myself that if I won Nationals I would treat myself to some of those “newfangled” “carbon fiber super spikes”. I’d been intrigued by them over the past year and spent way too much screen time down the “rabbit hole” researching them….what’s up.doc?

I’d heard the claims and noticed almost every one at Nationals were wearing some brand or another. So I spoke with a few guys and even got […]

My Comeback Chronicles #2-It’s The Shoes…hmmmGame2025-03-24T19:18:36-07:00

My Comeback Chronicles #1: A long road back just for a short sprint

I’ve been able to run as far back as I can remember. Instead of walking my first steps, I probably ran. I’ve been fast but not always the fastest, so I’ve had to fight to win, fight to train and fight to compete, but I’ve never had to fight my body..and this fight back to the track has taken three years….and I’m not sure it’s quite finished..here’s hoping it is .

Even though we live in a society that celebrates rugged individualism and social media that loves to demonstrate our uniqueness. I believe, on the contrary, that we are not as special or unique as we think. We are closer to being the same just different iterations, more likely sharing similar or the same life experiences at one point or another. So I try to navigate in this way with the belief that something I may be going through is more likely than not something someone else has, is, or will be experiencing. So I share this story to maybe help some one else work through the same or a similar trial in their life. I hope it helps.

By now most who know me can safely say I’m not an open […]

My Comeback Chronicles #1: A long road back just for a short sprintGame2025-04-17T12:07:13-07:00