Picking Up the Dog

NO!!  Picking UP the dog, not picking up after the dog!!  I had a close call about 1:30 this morning.  Tuffy, our 20+ lb (10 kg) Yorkie was barking insanely to go out to pee.  I jumped up, grabbed him, twisted to run out the door and felt my lower back go weak.  It wasn't severe but it was real and almost slow motion.  It's there this morning but not nearly as bad as it could have or maybe should have been.  Let that be a lesson. The last thing I need is to train this hard and then 9 days out get a back strain from slinging the dog over my shoulder.  I really thought it would be worse so I am SO relieved.  Have a great day and thanks for being here. Bubba

ACDC's "Dog Eat Dog" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtwlTyqvd0g&playnext=1&list=PLD519B3016E03167F

NSG Schedule Finally Up

http://www.nsga.com/files/TF%201st%20Session.pdf
Of course they are on glue thinking they can complete 10 women and 12 M60 vaulters between 8:30 and 9:45 but at least it is something.  They have put us with the M50s also which means we have about 17 in our two groups.  Best I can figure we are warming up at 10:30 IF it starts on time.  Going to be a long day but at least we should MAYBE have bit of a tailwind by then.  Have a great night!  Bubba

Walk The Line!!

This is a simple question I ask myself every day.  Since I train almost every day it doesn't have to be a lot, but I need to know I'm making progress.  Today I did.  I could do all of my running and sprint drills at yet another level up with no flare to me knee.  Last time I had a flare and this time I did not, yet the entire exertion level was up.  Good sign.  I have running days of Monday and Thursday left and there is nothing I would like better than to cancel my appointment with Dr. Rand on Thursday.  As of now I fully expect to cancel but I'll let it play out.

I have such a wide variety of music on my MP3 and since it's on "shuffle", I can go from Metallica, to Johnny Cash, to the song from the Wizard of Oz, "If I Only Had a Brain".  I like the simplicity of the guitar line for Johnny Cash's, "I Walk the Line", plus that competely describes my present situation.  I want to continue to make progress yet not overtrain or risk injury.  I think right now I'm exactly where I need to be for NSG.  Now if I can only vault technically correct.  I will walk the line.

At Coppell three weeks ago I was very dissappointed in my ability to refine the timing of my jump.  I'm getting in easy on one jump and not on the next.  My gut feeling says this was mainly because I was trying to be careful with me knee.  I have done enough big pole drills that I don't feel it's a timing issue. I''m also strong enough to quickly overcome almost any missed position to make a low bar.

Our event often comes down to the word , "Just". I used to say, "If I could just get on this pole I can clear 12' (3.66m) on as regular basis.  Then it was, "I just made 12' and Coppell and I'm pissed".  Now it is, "I know I'm going to be healty and will feel good so if I can just hit my positions on the pole."  I like the last one the best.  IF I take 2-3 more jumps from 4 steps and 1-2 from six steps I'll be dialed in for the day.  So that's the plan.

Thanks so much for being here.  I'm ready and excited yet still have 9 days to wait.  HARD training on Sunday and Monday and then it's a quick ramp down.  Of course I'll let you know when we finally get a start itme.  Unbelievable there is no schedule yet.  Have a great day!  Bubba

Johnny Cash's, "Walk the Line" has had over 13 million YouTube views.  Amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7K4jH7NqUw

Summer Time

Well the temps have backed off to under 100 but summer is here.  I was thinking last night that I have only vaulted six times this year so far and the next three times will be at huge meets.  Of course of the six times I have jumped only two have been low level practices.  This is far from the norm for me but my goal this year was to only jump on big poles and to do that you must be fresh and cautious. 

Can't wait for next year where I vault twice a week as my priority.  But right now it's summertime.  All I think about when I'm grinding away for nine months with next to no meets is that I can't wait for the summer to be able and ready to jump at a high level in the big meets. It's here.  Will I be ready?  Yes!!

Today I had total brain freeze and set my stairs at the wrong speed (one level lower) which had me set my bike at the wrong level, etc.  So it turned out to be a bit easier than I wanted but considering I'm running tomorrow instead of Saturday, and my last gym workout is Sunday, it was probably a subconscious message to me to go easier today. That said all lifting and bars continued to feel really good.  Again, Sunday will be my last lift day (8 days out) and I will push it hard, so a medium day today is acceptable.

Thanks for your support and being here for and with me.  Have a great day.  Bubba

Here is one of my favorite easy cruising songs, Sublime's, "Summertime". 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxGh6VGxuw0

Cool Sacramento Vault Clip

I've been asked several times what the facility looks like.  I was there for the Olympic Trials, pre Olympic Trials meets, Jr. Olympics, National Jr.s, etc.  They have two pits adjacent but not exactly side by side. So here's American Recordholder Brad Walker vaulting at nearly the exact same time as Olympian Derek Miles.  Enjoy!  Bubba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_TA3XwkuQ

Profanity Costs California Vaulter

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/06/07/hs-pole-vaulters-f-bomb-costs-team-state-track-title/

Could it Be? Don't Think So

Today I added sprint drills back into my running and also bumped the sled weight to 15 lbs. instead of 10.  I felt really powerful and reasonably fast, BUT, about half way through I felt a simmering knee flare rising.  It never actually flared and I was able to finish the workout with no limitations but as a precaution I made a call for an appointment with Dr. Rand a week from Thursday just in case. (They just called back - Thursday at 2:20).  Hopefully I will just need to cancel it.  I could feel it some during stretching afterwards but it didn't have that same ache to it as it did before. Long story short, I think/hope it's just adjusting to the higher level of running as today was by far the hardest I have run in a few months.

OK, we jump at 8 AM in Sacramento at Worlds.  I'm an early riser coming from a time zone two hours ahead so that should be fine.  On my jump days I try to be on the runway at 7 AM anyway so this will be no big deal.  According to a post on masterstrack.com, this time last year the high was 97 but it was 63 at 8 AM so I don't think I could ask for a more perfect scenario for our group.

NSG?  No schedule STILL!!  The last two days it has been 105, a record by seven degrees for both days.  It rained yesterday afternoon and dropped to 74 in only 20 minutes.  I really don't care when I jump but I want to know. That mental preparation thing you know.

Today's song that jumped out at me was Foo Fighters, "Learn to Fly", an old pole vault standard. In the video Dave Grohl does his best Eddie Murphy impression by playing many characters. Good song anyway.  have a great day!  Bubba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQ_3sBZEm0&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TLMAoarD1M4LU