Hard Day!

I have so much going on right now that the last thing I want to do is go workout.  Of course today is my hardest gym day, I felt sluggish after breakfast with my dad, AND I got to the gym and forgot my music.  VERY easy day to blow off but I took a deep breath, drove home, got my music and went back to the gym, took my time and had a good hard quality workout.  A small but important victory.  Have a great Sunday!  Bubba

Pleasant Surprise

I mentioned last week that I felt a little twinge in my right groin near the back as I took off more explosively than usual.  I stopped on the spot to avoid getting hurt.  This week I tried a few times to jog and it bothered me.  Yesterday I went out to do sleds and felt it getting out of the car.  That said, this morning I was able to vault at a low level.  SURPRISE!!  The game plan now is to go to the Texas vs. Louisiana meet next weekend and go at a low level and hope for the best.  Should be fun.

This week I'm on the road Monday through Wednesday but the good news is I think I will try and get a short jump session with my coach, Kris Allison, on Tuesday morning.  If I could advance on today a little and get my sleds in I will feel more comfortable going into Saturday's meet.  Coincidentally Kris is in Houston today doing a clinic.

That's it today except to say that during my warm up I felt like an athlete.  After a week of very little activity that was a welcome feeling.  Have a great day!  Bubba

Terrible Ted, the Motor City Madman with "Cat Scratch Fever" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBpGJemdUs&feature=related

A Chapter is Closing

Don picked up all of my weight equipment from my garage this morning and the movers came over.  Because of this I did not get a workout in as I had hoped.  I will go out and try and play around vaulting in the morning and see how I feel.  Worse case I'll run some sleds easy and go from there.

Next week I am out Monday until Wednesday night and we will start driving to California the following Thursday evening.  Training is hit and miss right now but that was expected and the phase break built into my plans.  I feel fat and I hate that but sometimes the body needs a rest.  Again, I would rather take a series of little breaks that have to try and restart after one long one.  Have a great day and thanks for being here.  Bubba

Home - For a Few Days

I've been home for 10 minutes and the printer repair guy says he is on his way over. I had hoped to get out and do some easy sleds both today and Saturday to see if I'm going to try and jump at the meet next week or not.  If you remember I stopped the last practice with a mild right groin thing.  Hope to give it a shot but we will see.

Have way too much to cover here so I'll spread it out over a few days.  Apparently Simon Arkell is getting me my own key to where he and his vaulters train AND I can keep my poles there rather than transport each vault day.  They also have bars, sleds, plyo boxes, etc. so I should be set there.  I haven't been to it yet but there is a 24 Hour Fitness a few miles away so I'll switch my membership to there.  I'm giving my garage weights to Don Curry as I'm not sure I will have room or if the sea air is good for the equipment in the garage.  Since January 1, 2005 I'm nearly at 20 million lbs. lifted (9.1 million kg) and a lot was in my garage.

Moving - the plan is to leave by car on Thursday evening 10/29, get past San Antonio and rest.  Get up about 4 AM and drive into New Mexico.  Sleep a few hours and drive to Phoenix, sleep a few hours and drive to the new place.  It's about 26 hours of driving with three dogs.  Should be fun - not so much.  More later.  Have a great day and thanks for being here.  Bubba

Yep - Weird Week

I'm at a hotel near the Orange County, California airport getting ready to come home at 6 AM tomorrow.  Yesterday I was in Denver and then home in Texas.  As I have told people about my impending move back to Southern California, where I lived at or near the beach for 24 years, I get two responses.  For those who have not been here, "well I guess you have to do what you have to do".  For those that have, "Wow - lucky guy!!".  Here's a little video from near my new place in Monarch Beach.  Enjoy.  Bubba

Here Comes Another Weird Week

As much as my mind and body fought me this morning I got in and had a very productive gym/lift/bar session.  I'm in Denver tomorrow and Tuesday and LA on Wednesday/Thursday.  Probably better as the break will keep me from screwing with my leg; which is much better today. 

I woke up feeling I'm 50/50 for the Texas vs. Louisiana meet on 10/22 but now I'm more optimistic.  What I'm most excited about is my training process.  I'm trying to get the most out of every level rather than just passing on to the next because I can.  For the past few years I have jumped on the biggest pole possible and now I jump on the biggest one that I feel comfortable with.  I'm getting a lot more out of my vault sessions because of it.

SO, I'm early for 2013, yet already feel behind for Reno 2012.  Reality - I hope to PR again at Reno and I am sure as soon as the move is done I will quickly make up any perceived lost ground.  Have a great Sunday and thanks for your support. Bubba

Reality - Two Steps Forward & One Step Back

Last year at Belton I saw my buddy Scotty Miller warming up to vault.  He's a coach now and finally old enough to vault with the masters group.  In his prime he vaulted 18' 5" (5.62m) at the University of Texas where he was also a defensive back on the football team.  Scotty is LITTLE but uber powerful and explosive and thought nothing of taking off at 15' 2" (4.65m) when everyone else was around 13' (4m).  As I watched him warm up I thought, "DAMN, I'm running like an old man trying not to get hurt and he's running in with these bounding rhythmical strides looking like he could explode any second he chooses to".  My goal this year is the be more like Scotty.

So far I've upped my explosiveness in small doses but I have to be really careful with it until my body learns how to handle it.  Today was a perfect example. I was warming up on my 14' 1" (4.30m) poles and I felt really quick and explosive.  I was gripping near 12' 1" (3.70m) from only four steps and even bending the pole.  As my legs got quicker I started feeling a little weakness under the back of my right leg like a high posterior groin area.  Since I have never had this and it didn't feel like and injury yet, I stopped.

That's just the way it's going to be for awhile.  Ramp up and be explosive but shut down at the first sign of trouble until my body can adjust. To anyone outside of my body or mind this day would have looked like a dismal failure and yet another setback.  To me it's one step closer to jumping like Scotty.

I finished my sleds and felt fortunate to not be injured.  I'm comfortable with the knowledge that in the long run I'm quite sure this plan will work.  Have a great day and thanks for your support.  Bubba

Here's another small yet explosive guy  - Greg Duplantis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN81WrPYHz8