WEDNESDAY

It has been unseasonably mild since I’ve been back in California with temperatures mostly in the 70’s and low 80’s.  Sacramento, where the Nationals will begin tomorrow has been 5-15 degrees warmer and they are forecasting 95 degrees for tomorrow.  I am prepared with a lot of fluids, a hankerchief for under my cap to protect my neck, a white t-shirt and plenty of sun block.  I have plenty of food and I’ve even packed breakfast so I don’t have to rely on the hotel buffet (these are normally pretty bad)

My biggest concern is my left achilles tendon.  Anyone reading this blog knows this has been a major obstacle for me since last September.  I’ve never gotten it healed and today it is pretty tender.  I have also set my goal for the 1500 meters to 7:30 with hopes that I can kick a bit and finish in 7.  If my achilles holds up, I’m pretty confident that I can do this.  If it doesn’t, well, it’s questionable how far I will get.  I may be unable to finish the 200m…

Today I went to Campolindo and did full approaches at 80% speed, some accelerations into the curve, a little discus and a 400m at 7min pace.  Basically I just walked through everything checking my “notes” as I went along.  I feel good (aside from the tendon).  Fast and strong and ready to go!

MONDAY

Received 30-mins of long jump coaching today from Tiffany Chiang.  Corrected my take-off, impressed upon me to drive my lead knee.  We also got my steps, more or less. 85 feet on 17-stride approach.

• Dynamic warm up
• 2x 100m strides
• 4x accelerations

LONG JUMP

• 3 short jumps
• 8 full jumps

DISCUS

• Line drill
• 6x standing throws
• 6x south africa
• 6x full throws

Had a sauna and 1-hr massage in evening.  Masseuse was EXCELLENT!  Karen at American Family Tubs and Massage.

WEDNESDAY
At Campolindo track

DISCUS

• Dynamic warm up
• 2x 100m strides
• 4x Accelerations
• Stretching
• Back of the Circle drills
• Line drill
• 9x Standing throws
• 9x South Africa throws
• 9x Full throws
• Cool down

MONDAY

Threw at the “Paul Bunyan” field and drew plenty of attention from locals no doubt wondering why I was exercising!

Exciting news!  Threw into a pretty stiff breeze on a humid day.  At least 3 throws over 35 meters.  Have attained my year-long goal!

DISCUS TECH

• Warm up jog
• Sand ball warm up
• Discus toss ups
• Discus bowling
• 6x kneeling throws
• 8x standing throws
• line work
• 8x South Africa
• 8x Full throws

TUESDAY

• Dynamic warm up

DISCUS

• line work
• 6x standing throws
• 6x south africa
• 6x full throws

18 holes of twilight golf (rode in cart)

Training In Michigan

TUESDAY

Worked out on the track at my old high school.  Not the best track in the world, but it will suffice.  Pretty cool to step on the run way where I set the city and county records in the pole vault as a freshman.

Beginning a new warm up, dynamic, that I got out of a book.  Much more focus on proper running form than my old 800m jogs.

Dynamic warm up
4x 20m acceleration
DISCUS

• Discus line work
• 6x standing throws
• 6x south africa
• 6x full throws

1500 meter paces

Nor-Cal Throwers Meet

SATURDAY

Competed in Nor-Cal Throwers Meet.
This was a lot of fun!  It was a beautiful day and there were lots of participants of all ages.  Randy Wilson talked me into trying the shot put.  There’s some technique to it, although not a whole lot.  Once I got a few pointers I broke 10 meters.  Pretty sure I could get it out over 12 meters with a little practice.

No one ran or seemed to warm up in any way.  Between shot and disc I did a sprint warm up (and tweaked my Achilles – big surprise!).  Mostly the throwers sit under shade tents, eat and talk.  Then they throw.  Pretty nice life.

My discus throws were pretty bad, all off-balance and scooping.  Randy told me not to think, just throw.  On my last I made a PR, so that was ok.

The hammer throw was awesome – at least by the good throwers!  Naturally I didn’t compete in this (or the weight throw) but it was amazing to watch.  Ed Burke, one of the world’s all-time best,  was there. He got very close to breaking his own record with a throw of 54.9m.  Three younger guys went over 60m!  It was way cool – like a cannon ball crashing out of the sky.  The earth shakes!

I warmed up throwing the javelin for quite some time.  I’d spent a good part of the day hanging out with a former world-class decathlete who was coaching one of the kids.  He gave me lots of instruction and drills for both the discus and javelin. He also told me that it doesn’t hurt any more to run a 5:20 1500m than it does to run a 5:50.  Both hurt.

My javelin was pretty lousy to begin and my Achilles really hurt.  I finally got off a decent throw and a PR and passed on my remaining throws.

In the end I set 3 personal records, had lots of fun and met some great people.  I also received some invaluable coaching and got my first exposure to the javelin event.  A good day!

Shot put: 10.27 meters
Discus: 32.09 meters
Javelin: 34.75 meters

MONDAY

Warm.

Today the primary focus was moving the pole vault and high jump pits from under the bleachers where they had been stored for graduation ceremonies back out onto the field and set up.

This was incredibly hard work that would have been impossible for me, the two p.v. coaches and my 10-year old daughter had it not been for the assistance of a dozen cross-country runners who happened to be just starting warm up stretches.  It took at least an hour and I hope I don’t have to do that for a long time.

So, my 10-year old daughter wants to be a vaulter.  Bob Olsen, the new pole vault coach for the high school was willing to take her on.  I had some doubt about Bob coaching a kid but as it turns out he’s an elementary school p.e. teacher and HE’S GREAT!  My daughter had a blast!  He had her walking with the pole then jogging with it.  She did step throughs and then jog throughs.  Later Bob did a couple of landing drills with her where he would assist her into the (reconstructed – whew!) pit which is nearly as high as she is.  My girl’s a natural.  If she sticks with it, I think she could go pretty far (or high, as it were).

Received discus coaching today from the Miramonte throws coach.  He’s really helpful but I’m overwhelmed.  Great events but technically so tricky.  I’m throwing disc and jav at Nor-Cal Throwers Throw meet on Saturday.  My confidence is pretty low.  Need to focus on having fun with the big fellas and not worrying about my marks (although I want to go over 32m in both).

DISCUS FOCUS

• 500m warm up
• 1 hour spent moving tons and tons of landing pits
• Standing throws
• South Africa throws
• Full throws

WEDNESDAY

Hung out with Bob Olsen who is the soon-to-be pole vault coach at local high school.  He’d come to jump but the school had stashed the pit away in preparation for graduation night.  I guess it will be held on the track/field.  Bob and I are quickly becoming friends.  We’re the same age within a couple months and both obsessive with our training.  Which was the problem with hanging out – I didn’t get in much of a warm up.

Discus day.  I ended up sharing the ring with a 13-year old kid being coached by the throws coach at one of the other Lamorinda high schools (Campolino, in Moraga).  Coach’s name is Jeff – also about my age.  Once he learned I was a willing student, he really let me have it.  My technique SUCKS.  But I learned a lot in this, my first real coaching session and am hoping I can quickly apply what I was taught.  There was a lot.  Didn’t help the soreness in my achilles made it hard to stay up on the ball of my left foot but that wasn’t all the problem by far.  I was much too quick out of the back, I snapped my throwing arm forward from bouncing it out of the first stretch back.  The biggest problem was a lack of patience “waiting” for my right foot to complete its spin in the middle of the ring.  But with all my faults, most throws were over 90 feet.

DISCUS

• 400m warm up
• Sand ball warm up
• A ton of throws – maybe 50
• 400m cool down

WEDNESDAY

Saw Nathan and best of the rest of the Don’s T&F team for the first time since their regional meet.  Congratulated him on his PR of 13’9″ in the vault, Emmy (fantastic 1600m win in 4:55!) and the junior 800m girl’s winner (can’t recall her name at the moment).

I had a late lunch and was initially too full to run much and my achilles tendon CONTINUES TO BE SORE.  There was the annual Stanley Middle School track meet scheduled so the place was full of youngsters and parents and the football squad working out.

I threw discus pretty crappy.  Didn’t help the football squad was squeezing me out of real estate on the combination back up football field/discus zone.

I got pretty tired of that so I vaulted with Nathan and Bob.  Did a bunch of swing throughs and then some 4-step vaults over the bungie.  Cleared 8 feet without too much effort.  Bob will be coaching the vaulters next year and has offered to train me.  Additionally he suggested that my daughter, who will be a 6th grader and wants to vault, work out with the high school team.  Awesome!

• 400m warm up
• Light stretching
• Standing throws (9x)
• 2nd position throws (6x)
• South Africa (6x)
• Full throws (6x)
• Pole vault swing throughs
• 4-step vaults