I'm Baaack!!

Here We Go Again!

Long before I went to the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand, I told Melanie that it would be my last world championships.  1) I really believed my body wouldn't withstand what was needed to get where I was trying to go. 2) I said I didn't think I could ever train that hard for that long again.  So what happened?

Upon review, at Auckland my poles were too small from 5 strides/10 steps that I used from 6/12 at Reno just three months before.  Then in just three months later at the Grand Haven Beach Vault, the same flex poles were way too small from 4/8.  So clearly there was huge improvement in those six months.

Because of this success I have foolishly convinced myself that I should just continue business as usual and hope that between now and the World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain in September of 2018, that I might be in the ball park of where I need to be to medal at that competition.

There are a few things special about Malaga. 1) Myself, and dear friends, Wolfgang Ritte of Germany, and Allan Williams of Great Britain will all have just turned 65 and will be the youngest in our age group.  The last time the three of us were in a world championship together, we swept the medals.  Any time that two of the three have been together, the first two places were taken, and anytime one of us competed, the gold was taken.  So we three are arguably the best match up in masters world  championships and we will all be the youngest in the M65 group in Malaga.

2) A high school friend of mine, John Clark, followed my progress to Auckland and made the decision to start vaulting for the very first time.  He is an author and once wrote a book about hiking through Spain.  Small world.  He's now had a number of vault sessions and the plan is for him to go from spectator to world championship competitor, and be on the field with us at Malaga.  How cool is that?  He will probably write a book about it.  ;-)

3) I've been so buried on business travel over the past few years that I truly don't know what's possible for me, and I would like to find out.  I'm hoping to get back over 12' or 3.65m, or "65" at 65.

So today was day one after a week off.  I have had a hip, shoulder, knee and Achilles issues so I decided to shut it down for the year and focus on what it will take to be at a high level next September.  Tomorrow I'll outline my training as I am always asked about that.

If you have followed this blog before then you know I give you the entire gut wrenching story with all of the injuries, rehabs, frustrations that we go through.  Many of you know that my body makes no testosterone, which makes training and vaulting even more challenging.  We are drug tested just like the elites so we have no options.  Because of this I must lift a lot and often in order to protect myself.  You WILL feel my pain and be exposed to my warped rationale of the mental survival of such a grind.  Let's have some fun!  Bubba

Today's song that drove me - Elevate, by the Winery Dogs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnMBix9Zq5o