The Rock Star

If you really want to sweat, then go down to the squash courts on D level of Jadwin Gym and just stand there.

You don't even have to play. Just standing there will make you drip sweat in no time.

And if you play? Forget it.

TigerBlog got back on the court the last few days, delayed from the normal late-morning start time by squash camp, as sport camp season is getting into the swing here on campus.

Predictably, TB's gray shirt was soaked after about seven points or so.

TB is pretty fortunate that he works in a building that has 10 squash courts, or else he shudders to think what he would do for exercise. He was a longtime lunchtime basketball player here, and he used to swim in the pool at Rider back when he was in the newspaper business.

One thing TB has never liked to do is run for exercise. To him, it's dull, not to mention painful (shins knees, etc.).

And there's no competition, unless you're racing someone, but TB figures there are hardly any people out there he could beat.

If you added up all the times TB has gone running in his life, it probably doesn't equal one marathon.

He knows people who like to run, and they talk about the workout and the alone time and the ability to challenge themselves. TB gets that - he'd just rather play squash.

He's come to have a much greater appreciation for runners by sitting in his office and watching Donn Cabral fly around the track every day during practice.

Cabral has become a complete rock star around here, the first since men's squash player Yasser El Halaby. Anytime Cabral was around - running or just walking into the building - everyone gave him the "there he is" look. It's the rock star treatment.

He's not a big man, and in TB's limited dealings with him, he's quiet. He seems polite, respectful. And driven, very, very driven.

TB doesn't remember too many athletes who have competed here who drew attention to themselves simply with the sheer impressiveness of their training the way Cabral has. It's as if he's putting on a show for the people who happen to look out on the track when he goes through his workouts.

TB has stood on the balcony and watched him, along with other people in the department, and muttered only "wow" as he went lap after lap, seemingly in a dead sprint the whole time.

At one point during the football season, TB wrote a story about Cabral for the game program. It's the only time he's ever really spoken to Cabral, and it was on the phone.

During that conversation, Cabral spelled out a year-long training schedule that he hoped would take him to the victory stand at the NCAA track and field championships, the Olympic Trials and finally the Olympic Games in his best event, the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

He's already accomplished the first two, including becoming Princeton's first runner to win an NCAA title since 1934.

He runs next week in Eugene, Ore., in the Trials, with the preliminaries Monday and the final Thursday. Cabral has a lot going for him in terms of qualifying, as he has run the fastest time by an American this year and has met the Olympic A qualifying standard.

The only way he wouldn't make the Olympics, as TB understands it, would be to not finish in the top three at the Trials AND have all three of the ones who do also beat the Olympic A standard.

Of course, he's not a lock to be on the team, and a lot could change in one or two races in Eugene.

Still, TB would love to turn on the Olympics this summer and see the rock star run in London.