Stuff

Talked to Don last night and it seems we crossed wires. He retired at the end of last week but his wife retires at the end of this week. He takes her to work because she has a brain tumor and cannot drive. So starting next week he will be on schedule. As it turns out, I will coach him but not vault with him. My days are Sunday/Thursday and his best days are Tuesday/Friday. I'm cool with that as I really like to jump alone. I've got portable speakers so I just plug in my MP3 and relax and enjoy the session. He likes country and I like rock so that helps too.

Don did get in touch with the owner of the trampoline/gymnastics place. It's about 20 minutes from me and 10 minutes from Don. The owner is at trampoline nationals but the manager felt we would be able to work something out to come out 90 minutes two days a week. Before my junior year of college my mom had introduced me to a guy she used to work with who had been a world class trampolinist. He hooked me up with a club/coach (like our PV club) with the intention to learn so tricks for spatial awareness. By the end of the summer we could do multi twisting double somersaults as well as many scary things on the diving board such as spotters - a back flip (or two) with or without twists, LAND BACK ON THE DIVING BOARD with our feet and then do the next trick into the water. You should have heard the screams from the people at the pool who thought you didn't mean to come back down on the board.

Spatial awareness? That's what we're after. Why? After three months of this, when Don and I went back to vaulting the vault felt like super slow motion and the vision was like a HUGE screen TV. We just saw and felt things much easier. So I'm pumped to start back toward that. BTW - at our peak we used to do trampoline shows during halftime at our university's basketball games. Too much fun!! Besides - it's our speed endurance, so would I rather run 150s and 200s or do trampoline and high bar for 90 minutes?

I noticed that I rarely mention the heat anymore. In Texas you go from Spring and pleasant to HOT almost overnight. What I am remembering is that you get used to it pretty quickly and get in shape quickly because of it. Sunday I did 10 X 50m hill/sleds and wasn't even sweating until the 8th one even though it was over 90 degrees. Today I did six and never sweat until I was done. I'm also not nearly as out of breath as I was the first month. So right now I'm torn whether I might wait until 10 or 11 to go out next year so it will be hot, since National Senior Games are in Houston and Worlds in Sacramento will be even hotter but less humid. Might make sense to train in the heat since I know I will adapt in about a month anyway.

I went through Ashley's lower body DVD last night and started doing the exercises today in order to gain hip strength and stability. It requires some thinking to engage your abs and neutralize your back first, but I can feel the difference between when I do and don't. At least I've started.

Overall I'm extremely optimistic and confident that I will be 100% healthy and fit for my August 5 start day, five weeks from Thursday. Everything is really coming around. It's as excited as I can be without jumping. Have a great day and all the best! Bubba