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