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!

SUNDAY
JAVELIN (light work out)
Technical work on the hill.
Disappointing throws overall and couldn’t do full approaches

FRIDAY
Achilles extremely sore.  Had problems even throwing.  Very worried about Nationals because of it.

• Dynamic warm up
• 2x 80m strides
• 2x acceleration

JAVELIN

• Baseball throws
• Lots of standing throws
• A few 3-step throws

WEIGHT TRAINING

• 3×6 Bench press
• 3×6 Snatch
• Core

THURSDAY

Very hot and humid today.  Tired from yesterday.  Wish I had my real javelin…

JAVELIN TECH (w/turbo jav)

• Dynamic warm up
• Arm flexibility and warm up
• Javelin acceleration runs
• Crossover work
• Plant/hip drive/arm work
• Approaches w/jav, no throw
• Standing throws
• 3-step throws
• Full (14 strides) throws
• Cool down

Mowed the lawn 1+ hour

Training in Oscoda

THURSDAY

Hot and humid.

The track at Oscoda is even more worn than Parkside’s in Jackson.  There were patches of torn up rubber that needed to be avoided.  And the temperature is rising.  The remainder of my time in Michigan it would be hot and humid.  That’s ok – good for for training!

The great thing is that the long jump pit is open and the sand is excellent (which makes sense considering it is only 3 miles off the shore of Lake Huron.

I had the track all to myself.  It would be so for every workout and is a good example of the physical activity of the citizenry here.  It’s tough to get off your ass and work out when you’re obese.  I am reminded that it was Oscoda and the obesity problem here that inspired me to get moving in the first place.

LONG JUMP/JAVELIN/1500

• Dynamic warm up
• 4 x 20m accelerations
• Lots of pop ups
• Short approaches and jumps into pit
• Long approaches and jumps into pit
• 6x 1-step turbo jav throws
• 6x 3-step turbo jav throws
• 6x 5-step turbo jav throws
• 2x 400m @1:36 rest 90sec
• Core work
• Cool down

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

WEDNESDAY

Getting warmer…

Worked on a few things today.  Very concerned about the 1500m I have to run at Nationals.  My strained Achilles tendon has made running very iffy and very off and on at that.  It felt pretty good today once I got going so I worked on the tempo of a 6 minute 1500m among other things.

JAVELIN AND 1500M FOCUS

• 800m warm up
• 3x 100m at 24sec. walk 100m between
• 1x 200m at 48sec. walked 400m
• Stretching
• 2x 30m A-Skips
• 2x 30m B-Skips
• 2x 30m karioke
• 2x 20m single leg hops
• 3x 30m acceleration runs
• Walk throughs with javelin with pull back
• Full approaches with javelin (no throw)
• Sand ball warm ups
• Baseball throws, standing/3,5,7 step (16)
• Full approach javelin throws (5x) (totally sucked!)
• Jogging cool down barefoot on turf

FRIDAY

Warm. Tail wind (!)

I recently viewed a video with some college-age guys demonstrating different techniques in the javelin.  Maybe the most valuable lesson I got from them was that a javelin thrower should just forget about approach check marks and FEEL THE RHYTYM: 1-2-3-4 / 1-2-3-4.  Today I worked out in a grassy field with a stiff tail-wind and went with that advice for full approaches. I have to say IT WORKS! My technique, cross-over, and block still all stink but at least I feel like I am getting the approach to the final things.  And that is new.  RHYTYM.

JAVELIN

• 600m warm up
• Stretching
• Sand ball warm up
• Two-handed javelin throws (6)
• Standing throws (10+)
• 3-step throws (6)
• Runs with the javelin (10)
• Full approach throws on grass (10+)
• 300m cool down
• Stretching

SATURDAY

Hot day with a breeze blowing in (on javelin throwing)

Beginning to freak out a bit about my chances at Nationals.  First of all there’s the ongoing trouble with my left Achilles tendon.  I am having a terrible time with it.  There’s no way I can compete if it is not much better than it is now.  The injury makes sprint training, approach running and intervals/tempo/distance runs near impossible.   It’s very hard to practice the long jump, period.  I’m hoping that practicing the approach and doing popups and plyometric work will work to accomplish 15 feet, but again much rides on the achilles healing.  Finally my distances in the discus and javelin are not improving and I am counting of them for good scores.  Today I taped myself throwing the javelin.  I will tape my discus throwing ASAP.

JAVELIN

• Warm up
• Stretching
• 1-step throw (10x)
• 3-step throw (10x)
• 5-step throw (10x)
• 7-step and full run throws (4x)

MONDAY

Did a good warm up and stretch before going up on the hill to throw the javelin.  God this event is hard.  I really don’t know why I struggle with it so much.  I love throwing! Why can’t I throw this thing farther?

JAVELIN

• 800m warm up
• Stretching
• Lots of sand ball throws
• Lots of throws with the typical number of reps and steps