Back to It Tomorrow!!

Two LONG business days in LA so I'm back at it tomorrow.  Body feels decent so I need to start figuring out my ramp down for California Senior Games a week from Sunday.  I'll have much more to report tomorrow.  Have a great day and thank you for being here!!  Bubba

Building Power!!

Today was one of those days where I had a longer/harder workout due and really wasn't that up for it.  I knew I would do it if I took my time, but I was racing the weather as my weights are in the front of my garage.  I also knew I couldn't wuss out on the weights lifted by going light. All went well and I ended up really enjoying the process and was pleased with the consistency of effort and focus.

I came in the house afterwards and left my workout clothes on because later I wanted to go do my bleachers.  And heck, if I'm going to do that I might as well do tomorrow's lifting on my way over.  Good idea but it didn't happen as it POURED rain as a big wind and storm blew in.

I will make tomorrow my off day as I'm in LA all day.  I go up to LA again on Wednesday too but I leave later and I'm only there for lunch so that day I will not miss training.

In 12 days I jump at the California Senior Games at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.  I'm hoping to get my knee shot before I go.  I'll inquire about that tomorrow with a few of my physician partners.  It doesn't bother me to train, run, left, etc., but it WILL flare after a few jumps so I need to get that handled.

Thank you for being here.  Your support mean the world to me. I really appreciate the outlet to think out loud among my friends.  Have a great evening!  Bubba

When my butt was getting kicked in the garage today, Pantera's, "Cowboys From Hell" helped me to kick back.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7EQlfprV9E&ob=av2n

Dogged Determination!!

My good friend and M70 vaulter, Steve Warr (The Colonel) inadvertently taught me a lesson about how fleeting it is to vault at a high level for very long as we age.  About 4-5 years ago he was just on fire just booming bars at 10' 6" (3.20m) with an occasional 11' jump.  I saw him at the last big meet of the year and he was outstanding. I saw his the first  meet of the next year and he wasn't the same guy.  Not even close.  In talking he said that he had a long year and decided to take some time off.  Like the air out of a balloon, it took him nearly three years to get back to close to that relative level again.  He doesn't run, lift, etc., so vaulting alone just takes too long.

I've seen other vaulters "take a little time off" and suffer the same issues as they struggle to get back to a level of fitness that they easily could have maintained if they had just kept doing SOMETHING!!  This is what has saved me this year. Even during the move and hectic work schedule I have stayed in touch with all of my components, though way scaled back.  At 58 I opened indoors with 13' (age graded 5.65m/18' 6 1/2") and outdoors at 12' 6" on what I would describe at best as "leftover" fitness.  I don't deserve those marks with what I have done lately.

Now I'm in a place to move forward with some real consistency again.  I know all of my training sites, routines, options, etc.  I came so close to "taking some time off" but I knew it would demoralize me to have to work my way back up from being and feeling out of shape.  It's so odd that when we feel bad about ourselves we become paralyzed into doing nothing, and when we feel good we're looking for the next training opportunity.  I had some really down moments and I'm sure there will be many more.  But for where I am right now and the fact that I'm set to really begin moving forward, I'm grateful to have dodged that bullet of lethargy.  Have a great day and thank you for being here!  Bubba

In honor of determined old guys aging well, Iron Maiden's, "The Trooper" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbT2lHtYtEQ

What is Love? Weighty Matters!

There's a fine line between passion, love and insanity, no matter what the object of affection.  Today, mine is resistance.  As always I stumble into new or renewed logic at the oddest times; usually when something jacks with my training plan.  So today I go out to do 10 X 100m on the grass and I find I can't because there is a field hockey match.  OK, so I'll go run 10 X the 40m stadium ramps.  So here we go - mental diversion and vacation from sanity begins.

I talked to my friend and The Woodlands High School coach, Robbie Dueitt today as we discussed how the kids did at today's home invitational.  I remembered that I always ran sleds there because there were no hills.  Now I have a hill but it doesn't quite feel hard enough because there is no weight behind me.  I really doubt that it would be a good idea to drag a metal sled up a concrete hill.  SO, WEIGHT VEST!!  GOTTA get one.  So where did this come from?

My plan to get back to running is to run a lot.  But as I was doing the hills it just felt so much more relevant to my vaulting approach on the runway.  I also remember reading that the fastest way to get into running shape is to run repeated shorter bursts rather than longer and easier intervals.  I also know from my studies on weight training that you can drastically increase the max number of reps you can perform by lifting sets of 3-5, but that by lifting sets of 10 it is nearly impossible to significantly raise your one set max.  Weight vest!!

So my revelation was that 10 X 100m would not have even half of the benefit of 10 X 40m hills at a higher and more explosive tempo.  Adding weight to it, as long as I can maintain a smooth run rhythm, would make me even faster without the hill and the vest.  So the hill for power and rhythm and the vest to give me the weight I'm missing from the sled.  I think every other day until I head to Palo Alto ought to do the trick.

I'm really excited about this because I had so much success bombarding my body with the grass sleds and this is even better - I think.  And to think it's all because there was a field hockey match today and I could not do my 10 X 100s.  On the way home I remembered Gary Hunter telling me that he learned during his rehab for his knee that no matter how many 100s you do you won't get faster on the runway.  Suddenly I felt validated in my seeming insanity.

Have a great evening and thanks for your support!!  The next two weeks look like real training with no schedule misses.  AWESOME!! Bubba

My favorite version of "What is Love?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gTqJTlR0fk&feature=related

Back to Reality - YES!!!!!

UNBELIEVABLE week of work, travel and juggling.  This morning I had so much follow up work to do from the trips, as well as my normal stuff, that the little voice started trying to talk me out of my hard garage lift.  FAILED!!  Got all of my work done, my training done, have one more short and casual business meeting then I will attempt to see what it feels like to have a life again.  Hope you all have a great day!  Bubba

Keys to Success!!

OK, I'm back home and trying to post here.  For some reason I cannot post from the browser I always use so I'm trying a different way.  Don't know and don't care why - here I am.
I've decided that for me to reach my goals I have to become a runner again.  Run the crap that's hard and hurts but start easy and build it up.  The goal is three good running days until I can get to four.  I got the second of the week in today after watching the kids jump.  I'm very excited about everything in my training now as I have gained some real clarity and direction.  I'm bumping up some lifting reps and adding in the running and drills as well as big pole plants.

Denver was great but a ton of work.  Tomorrow I'm in LA because I wasn't there today.  I will lift legs before I go so I will feel good about that.  I have a lot of stuff going on but at least now I should be able to control my schedule. 

NEWS OF THE DAY!!!  I got my keys to the high school gates and storage sheds so I can run and vault anytime I want to.  Yahooooooooooooo!!!!  YES!!!

Had a fun day watching the kids and hanging out with their coach, Steven.  He has the school record at 15' 1" (4.60m) and vaulted 5m (16' 4 3/4") in college.  He's a nice laid back guy with a good way with the kids.  He vaulted a little today and has a nice technical model for them to see.  I'm going to love it here and working with him and all of the coaches.  I feel like I just moved into a new home and got my own keys and couldn't be happier.  Have a great evening!  Bubba

Coming Home Tomorrow - System here won't let me post except the title

Denver!! Snow & Work!!

Mad Scientist on the Crazy Train!!

Two shots from yesterday's meet, both makes - I only jumped from 4 steps - 22' (7m). 

Please click to enlarge. Thanks for the photos Marsha!!

After yesterday's meltdown I decided today would be a perfect day to have a running workout.  I don't think I could have felt any worse nor been any closer to being injured without doing so as yesterday, so WHY NOT try it out today?  That is just the type of thinking I have always embraced.  A former NFL player once told me that you have to go after your weak spots - DAILY!!  Another well know strength and power guru says if it's worth doing then do it every day.  Why not?  I couldn't have been more disappointed in my preparation for yesterday.  I deserved to feel like crap so went out today and make it worse.  Funny - I felt much better today than yesterday.  Nice to know.

Flash back to my sophomore year in college.  I had a split tendon on the top of my foot to the point that I could not stand and push up on my toe on my take off foot.  All year I worked around this with very limited training and jumped 8" (20cm) lower than my freshman year. The coaches thought I was lazy and ofcourse that infuriated me.  So after the conference meet I figured, what the hell.  Rest hasn't helped; let's go right at this foot and make it stand up or fall down.  I was tired of it not being bad enough that a doctor could do something.  Why not fix it or break it?  For the next four months I ran 50ish miles a week, got in tremendous shape and forgot which foot was hurt.  I PR'd by over a foot (30cm) that next year.  Same plan now!!

I have the California Senior Games on March 11, so I won't jump before then, but I also won't get the knee injected either until early in the week before I go.  Today I ran pretty hard for 8 X 100m with no issues other than residual soreness.  The knee only flares at take off on my vault and a cortisone shot will fix that.  If I got it now I couldn't run, and since I'm not jumping ...  I will train, train, train and then get it shot on the Wednesday before the meet.  OK, it's crazy but that's how I operate.  Thanks for your support!!  Bubba

Ozzy's Crazy Train - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Bsjv5WIIU

Deflated!!

I got a rude awakening during the night when I found the inside of both legs quite sore from my sprint drills and leg swings.  I was limping around the house in the middle of the night.  I have no idea why because I do these every workout.  If I weren't going to Denver Monday for three days I would have never put the poles on the car.  I would have just stayed home.  Not being completely stupid I abandoned yesterday's plan and only took my small poles.

I felt flat as I have ever felt at a meet and very sore in the groin area.  BAFFLED!!  If I had gotten to do my running Tuesday or had stretched at least two days I know I would have felt OK.  It's unacceptable for this to happen and I have to get better control of my schedule and I will.  I'm PISSED OFF!!

OK, so I took a ton of jumps in warm up just in case I didn't get to jump later.  I felt like CRAP and the flare on the outside of my knee that started coming up in Reno, and jumped on me more at San Diego, was on me a little during the warm up.  As I got moving for the meet it had my attention.  By the end it was killing me so I will have to get it shot with cortisone Wednesday. The last shot lasted eight months so that's not so bad.  BTW - I took two low jumps, both makes, in the meet and stopped.

Fortunately after this trip I am home for awhile and my upgraded training will be my only priority.  Travel and out of town work visitors will be over and I can get control of my life again.  Today I'm deflated and disappointed but more committed than ever that I am no exception to the rules.  I need to find a way to get the work done or have no one but myself to blame.  I'm not hurt so tomorrow will be a great day to destroy my body with a double long training session.  Thanks for being here.  Bubba

Advance Regret?

The red eyes of the "Demon Horse" outside of Denver's airport, where I will be Monday.

Tomorrow I'm jumping at an All Comers meet at Marina High School in Huntington Beach.  I'm 3-4 lbs. heavier than I was two weeks ago in San Diego and have not run a step since last Sunday. I did a little shake out today and that too was my first stretch since Monday.  I have had four days off from being swamped with work and I knew it would be this way this week and half of next.  I understand that tomorrow is a huge risk to my body but I am going to make it worse.  How and why?

Since I'm heavier I will only take my 14' 7" (4.45m) poles which means I'm starting on a bigger pole.  Hopefully this won't be an issue as I will start at 12 steps instead of 10.  I will run slower and just try to hit better positions.  Why am I risking this with only three weeks until California Senior Games?

After the last meet I found myself finessing poles rather than hitting them with a sustained hit.  I wasn't forcing my arms and body to deliver correct and constant pressure because the poles were too small.  Even worse, my left shoulder was sore from not getting the pole out in front of me at the plant.  I know for a fact that I can't get away with this on big poles, especially if I start on bigger poles.  So trial by fire!!  Intentionally!!

Too me this is a risk but more of a calculated one.  The only way I am assured of being hurt is if I try to get in by running hard.  If I back off my run 5%, square up my takeoff, and hit the positions 10% harder, the jump will actually be EASIER on my body.  So I will roll the dice and see what happens.  I'll tell you right now if I didn't have the extra momentum of 3-4 lbs. I would probably not try this.  But I am, I will and I hope I don't get hurt.  If I do I deserve it.  More soon.  Thanks for being here!  Bubba

Follow me on my "Highway to Hell" tomorrow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_5kv8QeBBc

Accidental Recharge?!

I was talking to my business partner, Sam Fontenot, who had flown in from Houston to catch up on our Beverly Hills deal and he asked me a question that caught me off guard; "How is your training going?"  Obviously I think about this all of the time but I'm not used to giving a simple and short answer that only relates to results, rather than an explanation of my rationale and plan.  Sam has been a physical therapist for 41 years, and my partner for nine, so we have had many such conversations but this one seemed to me to require a simple answer.  My answer surprised me.

I said that I had been so busy with work that my training has been a combination of maintenance mode with short bursts forward and then back to maintenance.  The result is that some lingering annoyances that I have had to work around have actually had time to heal. Knock on wood but I have not been hurt in awhile so I think this type of training has actually preconditioned me for the hard training that will follow when I return from Denver next Wednesday. 

So I'm getting results in an unexpected and unplanned way.  Of course I absolutely HATE this because I like to train long and consistent but this little phase has turned out to be a great benefit to me.  So there!!  Now don't let it happen again!!  Thank you for your support!  Bubba

Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers - BTW - the women singing harmony near the end are the women of guitarist John Frusciante's mom's bridge club. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLvohMXgcBo&ob=av2n

EXHAUSTED!!

That is all!!  Bubba

Zigged When I Should Have Zagged?

This is my life today; mixed signals!!

I went out to the high school today to watch the vault practice and meet Julie, the vault coach.  Julie is the wife of the head coach, Craig Dunn, but more importantly, a 12' high school vaulter at a time when there were very few of those.  I liked her and her style right away.  A former vaulter also helps out but he was not out today.  My job is to fit in and help them where asked, but don't mess with what is already working.  I'm very comfortable in that position.  I'll earn my keep when I take the kids three days a week from the end of summer to Christmas.

SO, I remembered a valuable lesson today; DO YOUR WORKOUT FIRST!!  All I had was four easy bleacher ramp runs and by the time I was going to do them I had to leave, my legs were dead from standing, and MANY other kids were over doing the same thing. I'm out all day tomorrow but will jostle myself around enough on Thursday so I will feel good for Saturday, but  would have liked to have done that little workout today.  Thanks for being here!!  Bubba

Chickenfoot - Turning Left - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL1nTRdC_wI&feature=related

Thunderstruck!!

I deal with this daily in business.  Paralysis by analysis.  I drink the water while they waste time.

Huge winds today after a rainy start.  In fact the winds sounded like thunder the way they were rumbling.  Today I had a long stretch before I went up to the Los Angeles area for business. That was my plan today.  Tomorrow I will get a few more hill/ramps in and maybe a little leg lifting. I'll see how I feel after stretching.  I'll report back how life feels tomorrow.  Thank you for being here!  Bubba

AC/DC - Thunderstruck - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RukUetw0hAM&ob=av2e

Moving Right Along!

Dana Hills High School - the two pits are on the other end at an angle to get the tailwind.

I decided that even though I'm sore from yesterday's step up in intensity that I would do the same today.  The result was another good and quality day.  After lifting I hit Dana Hills High School for 6 hill/ramps.  I'll do the same again on Tuesday and then coast into Saturday's meet.

This morning I accidentally found out that the California Senior Games will be having their vault on March 11, at Stanford University.  Failure to jump there would mean I could not compete in the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland.  I was looking for a meet and saw an email from my buddy Kirk Bentz with a list of upcoming meets.  Had I not been looking for a meet I would have missed the deadline.  Apparently my next meet is June 2, so I'm glad I found this.  Have a great day and thanks for your support!

New Van Halen - She's a Woman -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9wKgYjTK10&feature=related

Thanks Dean Starkey!!

Me & Dean with our World Championship Medals from 1997; me from South Africa & he at Athens

Today, after missing two days of training I felt agitated and lethargic to the point it took me over an hour to talk myself into going out to start my double lifting session.  I had both a garage and a gym lift session today so I was NOT into it at all.  I know, I know, "just show up and get through it and you will feel better".  For some reason today I felt like I would be a failure if I took that approach.  Enter Dean Starkey, retired 19' 5" (5.92m) USA vaulter.

I've known Dean very well for many years and like any successful athlete or person, he has very little patience with himself if he doesn't feel like he is giving his best.  My very favorite memory of Dean's unique approach is that if he got rejected or stood up by a pole, he would not only gut it up and move up a pole, but he would actually skip the next biggest pole and go to the one above that.  MANLY!!

So today when I was feeling like a loser trying to talk myself into training, I remembered this and channelled Dean by going out and starting 50 lbs. (22kg) heavier on all of my big lifts and 25 lbs. on the secondary lifts.  I always say you can kill a fly with a flyswatter or with a sledgehammer and today I chose the sledgehammer.  Thanks Deano!!  Bubba

Here's Dean jumping big in Athens in 1997 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe_3_HiBMtU

My Life - Out of Control?!?!

Well, not this much but it feels this way!

As you know I came back to California because of business opportunity.  To say that things have "panned out as hoped" is a terrific understatement.  This week, the large Beverly Hills based, national physician organization has drafted me from exclusive contractor for physical therapy services, to be their "Director" for all ancillary services on their behalf.  I still keep my PT services contract, but, oh by the way, will you help us on the national side of the rest of the revenue generators? After all, we have already built a national company so who better to help them?  That's a trick question right?  OF COURSE I will do this and I am honored to be asked!!

SO, I missed another workout today.  Don't worry, it's Hammer Time as I will do a double in the morning.  Thanks for your support and sorry to let you down.  Back to reality tomorrow.  Bubba

Hoobastank - "Out of Control" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E17HnEMloDc&feature=fvst

Another Day Lost?

Not really.  I took today off so I could have a Friday, Saturday, Sunday rotation followed by a Tuesday/Thursday to get ready for my next meet.  I'm feeling pretty good so I'm trying to stay that way rather than beat myself down before my last meet for a bit.  Stay tuned.  Thank you!!  Bubba

The New Off Day is the Old Off Day

Wednesdays have always been my regional travel day so it has also been my off day from training.  Because I'm not vaulting in practice right now I've juggled some days and have been able to lift Wednesday morning before I take off.  Not so this week as today I'm behind already and will have no time to work out. Lesson learned - get back to my regular days and if I can go a day early on some things then great. If not, I'll still be able to be on the right rotation. 

I found out yesterday that I cannot be at the track with the high school kids until I get my fingerprint clearance back, get my photo ID, which I can't get until I get clearance, etc.  I should have it back sometime between today and Friday.  In any case, I was going to jump Friday and that now seems unlikely.  So back to statement #1 - Wednesday is my off day and I will get back on my regular schedule.  Thanks and have a great day!  Bubba

The Battle Continues

I delayed my training cycle by one day to come out the place I wanted to for the end of the week, and wouldn't you know it, I felt lazy, lethargic and disinterested in making my body perform.  My core endurance felt weak yet my strength was OK.  This is not the reflection of a weak body but a weak mind, my "Resident Evil".  Got passed it and kicked it's butt.  Thank you for getting past this crippling flaw today.  Bubba

Metallica - "Sad But True" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8MO7fkZc5o&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TLcpo8jVVbhyk

Day Off!!

I'm off today anyway but what I'm really trying to decide is if I will jump Friday at the high school.  Today was their first day of practice but I haven't gotten my clearance from the school district to work with the kids yet.  Hoping to hear something in the next day or so.

Tomorrow is a gym lift/bars and running day but we have 100% chance of rain. I'll have to play that by ear.  If I jump Friday I don't mind skipping running tomorrow.  Stay tuned!  Thanks for your support!  Bubba

Here Comes the Pain - Time to Play the Game!

DANGIT!!  There are few things more painful than lifting legs the day after a meet.  I feel like I have been shot at and missed and sh*%t at and hit.  BUT, that's what makes the body recover as well as step up and respond.  I HATE it but I ALWAYS feel better after it.  I dread it so much that it takes me about an hour to get myself up enough to go do it, and then I very slowly and cautiously build into the session.  Today was no different and I'm so glad I got in a high quality lift and stretch.

As a follow up to yesterday I did not have a good technical day.  My warm up jumps were very nice and smooth but unfortunately the standards don't go back that far, so I spent the day feeling like I was about to go under the crossbar before I even started my swing.  THAT will screw up your timing in a hurry.  Every jump was a save and never was there any control.  Time to switch gears.

After I lifted I took the two 14' 1" (4.30m) poles out of my meet bag and put in two bigger 14' 7"s (4.45m) poles.  The two 14' 1"s will now be the top of my practice series.  I will start my meets from 10 steps on the smallest 14' 7" and try to go two poles per run and see how that goes. 

The problem with jumping at a low level is that you do things technically that get you in trouble when you use REAL poles.  My left shoulder is trashed today because I wasn't actively pressing my hands before the pole hit the box.  I'm not used to that much force because I have only jumped on small poles.  This also explains why I'm needing an extra stride to move poles that used to be very manageable from a stride closer.  Jumping on bigger poles from closer will correct this timing in one day.

This may sound like a formula or invitation to injury but it's really very safe.  I was taught many years ago that when you use bigger poles you should back off your run about 5% and try to hit all of your positions 10% better.  I will still start at 4 steps, 6 steps and then 8 steps in practice, but I will quickly start trying to move bigger poles from each run before I move back. Like a meet, I give myself three attempts before I have to change runs, poles or both. 

I'm hoping I can jump at DHHS next Friday but if not I will wait on the meet on 2/18.  In any case, I like my overall plan and I'm glad I survived today's torture chamber.  Have a great day and thank you so much for caring enough to follow me here.  Bubba

Drowning Pool's, "The Game (Here Comes the Pain)" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MfUHAtEkGU

Great Day For a Great Cause!!

Vaulters and fans today at UC San Diego.  Please click to enlarge.

A few years ago Leon Roach III, a young UC San Diego vaulter, died when his head struck the ground after a rope vault.  Today there was a great turn out to celebrate his life and spirit.  The last time I saw his dad was 1970, in the back yard of Olympic bronze medalist, Dave Clark, in a small town in North Texas.  We were both there to take lessons for the day, just a few of us.  Later he lived with Bob Richards Jr., the son of the Olympic pole vault and decathlon champion in Garden Grove, California.  My brother saw him then.  Today was a joy to hang out with him and the other vautlters on an absolutely picture perfect day.

With close to 40 vaulters it was a zoo but expertly run by the officials.  I started at 11' 6" (3.51m) after about a 90 minute wait.  Unlike Reno my poles were way too small and I had to save a bunch of jumps rather than feel like I had control.  No idea how I made opening as the pole just turned to mush and I hit it on the way up but it stayed.  At 12' (3.66m) the same thing happened but even worse on my biggest 14' 1" (4.30m) pole and I got a miss.  Made it on jump #2 on my smallest 14' 7" (4.45m) pole and then moved up poles again.  Made 12' 6" (3.81m) pretty easy but had to turn too early to avoid hitting it on the way up AGAIN - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLfneaLbcd0&feature=youtu.be  At 13' (3.96m) It was all about finesse as the pole was a little too small but I didn't think I could get on the next one.  Had three great jumps but couldn't wiggle around enough to leave it up.

I think I'm at that point where I need to start on my normal meet poles, the 14' 7"s (4.45m).  Last year I could jump on some of these from a stride closer but somehow I'm jumping higher where I am on these poles.  For example, the pole I jumped 12' 6" on today used to be my 11' 6" pole. The pole I made 13' on in Reno, that was too small today, was the pole I used for 12'.  If I can quickly close this gap by using the same poles from one stride closer I can add 6" (15cm) to my height and be set up to get on bigger poles from back another stride.

Today I didn't feel spectacular but my 12 step run was back about a foot (30cm) meaning I'm actually running a little faster.  I'm FAR from where I want and need to be but the results are certainly pleasing.  Now, back to work.  Thanks for following and supporting me!  Bubba

Watching & Waiting!

Tomorrow I have a meet at UCSD (University of California at San Diego).  It's a vault only meet in memory of a vaulter who died a few years ago.  I didn't know the boy but I know his dad, who I haven't seen in over 30 years.  I will see him tomorrow.  Girls jump at 10 I think and the guys jump at 1.  It's only about an hour drive and the weather is supposed to be nice.  We will see how it goes.

I had an easy stretch, sprint drills, skip, stride day and got my poles packed up.  I added two poles to the bag just in case I need them.  I have three left in the garage that I don't think I'm ready for.  In fact, I may find out I'm not ready for the two I added but at least I will have them if needed.

I don't have any expectations for some reason.  Training is going well but I've only jumped one day since Reno two weeks ago.  I'm fine for that for now.  I wish I knew more what to expect but I don't.  I will just have to wait and see how it goes.  Have a great evening and thanks for your support!  Bubba

Chickenfoot's, "Sexy Little Thing" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeqpRvFaCtI&feature=related

Silver Lining

I'm starting to come to some control of my work, travel and training schedule. Like anyone else my schedule changes all of the time but it's much easier for me if I have a structure for it to vary from.  I'm starting to feel like I'm planning for organized success rather than adapting to random chaos.

Stretching this morning felt good but a little tight, not too bad at all.  Tomorrow I will move around a little more and get my poles ready.  I will add to more poles to my pole bag so I don't end up like Reno, running out of poles.

I found out there is no meet the next weekend, 2/11, but two on 2/18, which is perfect for me.  I prefer to jump in meets no closer than every other week so this lines up nicely.

All in all I feel pretty good about things, hence the "Silver Lining" theme.  Have a great day and thanks for being here.  Bubba

A great rocking band, "Living Colour" with "Open Letter to a Landlord" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V5VkMqM07s&ob=av2e

Let There Be Rock!!

Let There Be Rock - This is my little practice/travel amp for my guitar, which I have set up to play my mp3 - LOUD!!  Runs on batteries for vault sessions or plugs into the wall in the garage.

I decided not to run yesterday as my right Achilles was a little sore.  I haven't quite figured out why but I will.  After two Achilles surgeries I'm pretty quick at diagnosis and correction.  Today I woke up with no pain and had another great garage workout along with stride/skip/stretch.  I feel a little heavy but I still have a few days before the meet so I should be fine.  The good news is that my body felt fairly refreshed, like it's on the rebound, even though I lifted hard legs yesterday.  I'll take that any day on a Wednesday leading into a meet.

Last night I did my CPR/First Aid class for the Dana Hills High School Volunteer PV deal.  Tomorrow I do criminal check/fingerprinting and then I'm done.  I have meets the next three weekends and then that comes to an abrupt halt as kids start to have meets.  By that time I should be settled into a great training routine.  It will feel weird to have an outdoor mark this early in the year but that is a good problem.  Have a great evening and thank you so much for your support!  Bubba

ACDC - Let There Be Rock - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98I85ceICRM