Lessons Learned

My friend and late great orthopedic surgeon, Glenn Almquist, used to say if your training is hurting you but your event is not, then you need to rethink how valuable that training component might be.  He followed with, "If your event is hurting you then you need to reassess your training.  You need to step it up, attack your weak areas, or both."

My buddy and former Baltimore Colts receiver, Brian DeRoo told me if you're hurt you need to hammer that area so it doesn't happen again.  So when I had recurring back and hamstring problems he put me on straight legged deadlifts, lunges, hang cleans, etc.

Both are great advice and exactly what I am doing right now.  Hitting my weak areas harder than they have ever been hit.  In the case of my leg I feel like I might have actually woke it up and possibly made it a bit worse this week in practice.  But today's running was considerably better so I'm probably dead on with my approach.

Of course there is a limit to any "theory".  A crazy walk on vaulter we had at UC Irvine (Matt) was at the track cautiously kicking the metal bars of the bleachers with his shins.  UCI is a high academic school so I had to know what he was doing. "I'm getting into kickboxing and I'm trying to toughen up my shins".  Uh, NO!!  That won't work.

I'm beat up now from training, which is perfect since I'm out of town early next week for business.  But I really like the adjustments that I have made by adding exercises and cleaning up my running program.  I probably could have done some low level jumping today so that's a great sign.  It's even a better sign that I was smart enough not to do it.  Lessons learned!  In any case, I'll stay after it, Dead or Alive - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRvCvsRp5ho&ob=av2e  Have a great day and thanks for being here!  Bubba