I went out with Don this morning and felt pretty flat since I haven't done a single thing since Sunday's aborted jump session. I was in Tampa Monday/Tuesday and then my regular local/regional travel on Wednesday so wasn't even able to stretch. HATE that but sometimes it happens. Should be able to get some good quality work in while in Maine on vacation. GREAT 80m hill right in front of the house and the YMCA works well for lifting and bars.
I was super careful since I felt bad but still managed a few really good jumps on my smallest 14' 1" (4.30m) pole. Running from 44' (13m) I made 12' (3.66m) and 12' 6" (3.81m) cleanly on 2nd attempts and then moved up to the 17.2 and had one really good one at 13' (3.96m). Sounds exactly like the last practice but I felt worse physically yet technically had better control.
Today I lost the battle of wills and did not go to the gym because I have way too much to do at home before I can leave town for eight days. I did complete all of my running at the track though. I'll jump from 10 steps (5 strides) at the meet a week from Sunday and see how it feels.
Gotta run but thanks for being here with me and have a great day! Bubba
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Jump Day Tomorrow
Local/Regional travel today but finally get to jump tomorrow. Can't wait.
I also found out that the meet scheduled for 9/25 has been moved to Sunday 10/10, the day after I get back from vacation so we will all go.
Vacation in Maine will be different this year. We were supposed to go last year but Nancy's mom, June, had a stroke just before we were to go. She died on January 14, 2010 so it will be the first family trip to the beach house without her. We have invited friends and family to join us so it should be a fun time remembering her. June was a wonderful lady. She lived with us for the last six years of her life and she was nothing short of a joy.
More after I jump tomorrow. Bubba
I also found out that the meet scheduled for 9/25 has been moved to Sunday 10/10, the day after I get back from vacation so we will all go.
Vacation in Maine will be different this year. We were supposed to go last year but Nancy's mom, June, had a stroke just before we were to go. She died on January 14, 2010 so it will be the first family trip to the beach house without her. We have invited friends and family to join us so it should be a fun time remembering her. June was a wonderful lady. She lived with us for the last six years of her life and she was nothing short of a joy.
More after I jump tomorrow. Bubba
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Not MIA
Just got back from business in Tampa. Left the house Monday at 5:15 and finshed day long meetings and dinner at 9:30. Flew out at noon and just got home. Local travel day today, vault Thursday, vacation Friday - Saturday of the next week. More soon. Thanks for hanging with me. Bubba
Late add - I heard back from the USF (University of South Florida) coach today and he invited me to come out to practice the next time I'm in Tampa, which could be a lot.
Late add - I heard back from the USF (University of South Florida) coach today and he invited me to come out to practice the next time I'm in Tampa, which could be a lot.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Maturity Sucks
Warming up today I felt good and quick but a little weak behind my left knee in the lower hamstring. This is pretty common when I've bumped up my running speed, gone to longer runs, or bigger poles. Ashley says that the muscles aren't firing in sequence correctly so they can't protect themselves. The late great orthopedic surgeon and friend, Dr. Glen Almquist, used to tell me that it is like "sunburn". When you go out and get sunburned you stay out of the sun until it goes away and then ease back into it. That's why you get fried at the first of the summer and are tanned by the end. Your body gets used to it in doses.
All of this said, I stopped jumping about 1/2 way through my warm up today because I felt I was at risk of getting a ding that could keep me out for another four weeks. I did get my running done but at a lower level. Don't get me wrong, I feel good and am close to being ready to get in some big jumps, but my body hasn't completely recovered from the last two sessions on the bigger poles. I'm fine with that in the big picture, but for today it sucks since I really was looking forward to jumping. Have a wonderful Sunday! Bubba
All of this said, I stopped jumping about 1/2 way through my warm up today because I felt I was at risk of getting a ding that could keep me out for another four weeks. I did get my running done but at a lower level. Don't get me wrong, I feel good and am close to being ready to get in some big jumps, but my body hasn't completely recovered from the last two sessions on the bigger poles. I'm fine with that in the big picture, but for today it sucks since I really was looking forward to jumping. Have a wonderful Sunday! Bubba
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Off Day
Got shut out on my earlier post but I was just saying that I had a nice stretch today, feel better and hope to have a good vault/run/lift/bars day tomorrow. Have a great night! Bubba
Friday, September 24, 2010
Dangers of Cipro for Athletes
I got this email today from Penny Hanson, a former elite level gymnast I've known for years as we went to college together. I found it really interesting and certainly never knew about these side effects. Bubba
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Hi Bubba,I hope you are doing well. I had something interesting happen this week that I thought might be good for you to know.
I was prescribed the antibiotic "Cipro" for an infection I had last week. I had taken it only once before at the end of June. Anyway, when I picked it up, I looked over the list of complications and side effects and the number one complication is "spontaneous tendon rupture". When I read more about it and checked it out online, it turns out that this is a serious drug that can mess you up for months after you take it. They stated that the ruptures can happen even months after you have finished taking the antibiotic. Also, there are loads of reports of people who have developed tendinitis in their joints when they did not have it before, especially the shoulder and hands.
I tell you this because, on July 1st, 2 days after I had finished my course of Cipro, I shredded my calf muscle from my Achilles....big pain! They said it was a muscle tear and I ended up spending 6 weeks in a boot and doing weeks of physical therapy. At the time, I was just walking barefoot on my floor, no heels, no crazy steps, etc. I had never had any pain in my calf before this either.
My conclusion is that I had a "spontaneous tendon rupture" caused by the drug! I called my doctor this time and got another antibiotic....I will never take Cipro again. I thought you might want to be aware of this scary side effect just in case you have an opportunity to take Cipro. Don't do it! Take care Penny
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Hi Bubba,I hope you are doing well. I had something interesting happen this week that I thought might be good for you to know.
I was prescribed the antibiotic "Cipro" for an infection I had last week. I had taken it only once before at the end of June. Anyway, when I picked it up, I looked over the list of complications and side effects and the number one complication is "spontaneous tendon rupture". When I read more about it and checked it out online, it turns out that this is a serious drug that can mess you up for months after you take it. They stated that the ruptures can happen even months after you have finished taking the antibiotic. Also, there are loads of reports of people who have developed tendinitis in their joints when they did not have it before, especially the shoulder and hands.
I tell you this because, on July 1st, 2 days after I had finished my course of Cipro, I shredded my calf muscle from my Achilles....big pain! They said it was a muscle tear and I ended up spending 6 weeks in a boot and doing weeks of physical therapy. At the time, I was just walking barefoot on my floor, no heels, no crazy steps, etc. I had never had any pain in my calf before this either.
My conclusion is that I had a "spontaneous tendon rupture" caused by the drug! I called my doctor this time and got another antibiotic....I will never take Cipro again. I thought you might want to be aware of this scary side effect just in case you have an opportunity to take Cipro. Don't do it! Take care Penny
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Facing My Demons
No matter how much you run or lift, the act of vaulting requires a particular type of mental focus to improve. You can't just vault. You have to try and do specific things better on each jump. As I have said a million times, you have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and then move on to the next uncomfortable. Today's goal was to start at 8 steps (44'/13m) on the first 14' 1" (4.30m) pole and just get some jumps in. I accomplished that but not without some frustration.
Started the day feeling like crap. I'm fighting a sinus infection which gives me a body ache type feeling in my head. It's supposed to rain again on my next jump day, Sunday, so I didn't want to miss the chance to vault. I did skip all bars and lifting and will head to my PCP this morning for some antibiotics.
The goal is to start to accumulate some jumps at this level as a new baseline. I had no problem moving the poles today. The longer poles roll slower so I have to really focus on completing my take off and keeping my body long and without a hip break during the swing. Knowing what to do, and even how to do it, is sometimes a challenge in mid jump. Because it's new it took REAL focus to mentally discipline my mind to do what needed to be done.
I started at 12' (3.66m) and made it on the 2nd jump on the 17.5. Jump #1 I forgot how to vault and cut off my take off. That's frustrating because the warm up jump with no bar just before that jump I hit with perfect timing. That's what this is all about; focus under fire. Made 12' 6" (3.81m) on my 2nd attempt and nearly left up 13' (3.96m) on the next pole, the 17.2 on the 2nd jump.
If I can get another day or two like this in before my trip I will be up one more pole and probably make or be super close to 13' so I can move back a stride to 10 steps. I have two more jumps sessions before my vacation so I think this is highly possible if I focus.
Again, I would love to just move back 30' and move up about six poles bigger but it is important to maintain the technical efficiency I'm building. So for my first true practice entirely from 8 steps, I'm pretty pleased with my ability to make technical changes from jump to jump when my mind and instincts are telling me not to. Small victory for the mentally weak. The mind is like a muscle and will get stronger if used. I was able to make these adjustments and show mental discipline on the 13' 1" (4m) poles, so now it's time to do it here. Have a great day and thanks for being here! Bubba
Late add - when doing heavy lat pulls on Monday I felt a spot of fairly sharp pain in the middle of my right bicep; then one that kept me out of Reno, Kamloops, etc. Almost didn't jump today and then thought I would try on small poles. Finally I decided to just go with the big pole plan as I could always stop if it hurt. Never felt a thing.
Started the day feeling like crap. I'm fighting a sinus infection which gives me a body ache type feeling in my head. It's supposed to rain again on my next jump day, Sunday, so I didn't want to miss the chance to vault. I did skip all bars and lifting and will head to my PCP this morning for some antibiotics.
The goal is to start to accumulate some jumps at this level as a new baseline. I had no problem moving the poles today. The longer poles roll slower so I have to really focus on completing my take off and keeping my body long and without a hip break during the swing. Knowing what to do, and even how to do it, is sometimes a challenge in mid jump. Because it's new it took REAL focus to mentally discipline my mind to do what needed to be done.
I started at 12' (3.66m) and made it on the 2nd jump on the 17.5. Jump #1 I forgot how to vault and cut off my take off. That's frustrating because the warm up jump with no bar just before that jump I hit with perfect timing. That's what this is all about; focus under fire. Made 12' 6" (3.81m) on my 2nd attempt and nearly left up 13' (3.96m) on the next pole, the 17.2 on the 2nd jump.
If I can get another day or two like this in before my trip I will be up one more pole and probably make or be super close to 13' so I can move back a stride to 10 steps. I have two more jumps sessions before my vacation so I think this is highly possible if I focus.
Again, I would love to just move back 30' and move up about six poles bigger but it is important to maintain the technical efficiency I'm building. So for my first true practice entirely from 8 steps, I'm pretty pleased with my ability to make technical changes from jump to jump when my mind and instincts are telling me not to. Small victory for the mentally weak. The mind is like a muscle and will get stronger if used. I was able to make these adjustments and show mental discipline on the 13' 1" (4m) poles, so now it's time to do it here. Have a great day and thanks for being here! Bubba
Late add - when doing heavy lat pulls on Monday I felt a spot of fairly sharp pain in the middle of my right bicep; then one that kept me out of Reno, Kamloops, etc. Almost didn't jump today and then thought I would try on small poles. Finally I decided to just go with the big pole plan as I could always stop if it hurt. Never felt a thing.
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