My Losing Season

I just finished Pat Conroy's, "My Losing Season" about his senior year on the basketball team at The Citadel.  The stated purpose of the exercise was to determine if you learn more from winning or losing.  The book looks at his childhood and tough Marine pilot father, the subject of his book, "The Great Santini".  He lived a very tough life but was truly committed to his passion for basketball.  A small guy at 5' 10" he did not have the skills to be a factor as he aspired to be the best point guard to ever play.  That year he won the most valuable player trophy for a team that won only eight games.  He was an overachiever.  I learned a lot about Pat and he gained my deepest respect with his approach to the game and life.  He truly did learn more from losing but he kept up his optimism and spirit.

By any measure I have had a losing season.  Other than winning my pit in Reno with a PR of 4.10m/13' 5 1/4", I have fought through this season with tiny but nagging injuries.  I got 4th at indoor nationals even though I jumped 13'.  I got 2nd at the National Senior Games, I was 4th at the World Masters Championships and I will not win in Cleveland because Gary Hunter is now in my age group.  So, maybe my season not "losing", but certainly not winning like 2009 when I won national indoors and also set a meet record at the World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia.  The truth is I jumped much better and much higher this year but being older in a group of young studs takes it's toll. 

STILL, I learned a lot from my losing season.  I learned I could only jump at meets and still be at a very high level on my biggest pole series.  I would never do this again but this year it was a requirement to even be in the game at all in my age group.  I learned that no matter what level you are at you basically start over no matter how small the injury.  It took me from March to now to get my speed back but I never jumped on anything less than my 14' 7"/4.45m pole series.  This time last year I had no idea I would even attempt to get a pole that big.  As of tomorrow I will have eight.  So the question is, was my effort worth it or is the year "All Down the Drain" as the Chickenfoot song goes?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_EMFYrZVrw

I feel really good about what I have accomplished and know it will pay off in higher jumps over the next couple of years.  Tomorrow morning I'm picking up a smaller 14'7" pole from Kris so I never get stuck again like I was in Sacramento where my smallest pole was actually too big.  On a good day I can almost jump on my smallest 14'7" from 44' (8 steps), so with this pole I should be able to easily do that on a consistent basis.  TONS of vaults are scheduled for next year.  Though I still jump well I really lost the refinements I had built up the year before.  The objective is to get those back while continuing to raise my running speed and technical ability.  I'm very excited about the process.

Saving me from me again?  I was going to run again today but it's raining so I will wait until tomorrow afternoon.  Probably better anyway since the outside of my knee was sore on Sunday.  Thanks for all of your support and words of encouragement. It means the world to me.  Bubba