Healing Nicely

Though my bicep was very sore yesterday it didn't hurt when tested by weighted positions. This morning I would say that 80% of that soreness is gone so of course this makes me even more optimistic that I can get back to reality. So what is reality?

My objective will be to resume all training components no matter how few the reps. Though I start training again Thursday, the following Thursday will be the first day to vault and do all bars. I'm not pressed to hit a certain meet at a certain time even though I have the Brazos Valley Senior Games on 4/22. I won't go if I don't feel I can jump 4m (13' 1 1/2") so that will be dependent on how my very few vault sessions go between now and then.

The first meet I will target is 5/23, then 5/30 and then 6/19. It's more important to complete a long string of training weeks than to cut it off just to jump at a meet. During this window Nancy and I will go to Hawaii in early May and then to bury her mom's ashes in Cleveland on the weekend of 6/12. There will be heavy training before these planned breaks. Ramp up, break; or ramp up, compete, break are the most normal training cycles. I can ramp up in as short as two weeks or can do a sustained 4-6 weeks in some cases.

Right now I'm thinking this will be a short season with a mark of at least 4.07m (13' 4 1/4") and hopefully 4.14m (13' 7") or higher. Why? Next year is a World Championship year. For the first time since 1995 they will be in the US in Sacramento. MANY good vaulters will move into my age group as I become one of the oldest so I will need a good 6-8 months of very limited competition and a ton of focused training to move myself up a level to even hope to compete for a medal. It may take 14' (4.27m) for a medal and as of today the highest by an American is 13' 6 1/2" (4.13m) so what does that tell you about who is coming up? Only one guy has ever made 14' in the M55.

Also the National Senior Games will be at home in Houston. I think it would be fair for a vaulter in my position to look past next year because the challenges to keep up with the depth and talent of new young guys in my group looks pretty hopeless. But I have to see it as a challenge but also as a launching base for my attack on 2013 when I become 60 and I am the youngest. That year the WMA (World Masters Athletics - Track & Field Only) will be in Brazil and the World Masters Games (Olympics for Masters) will be in Torino, Italy. So to hit my long term goal I will have to be able to make a serious run at the short term goal, no matter how overwhelming that task seems.

So there you go. This is the kind of stuff I think about when I'm not able to train. Can't wait to start back, especially since I feel healthy. Have a great day! Bubba