Thursday, December 29, 2005

Low Battery: Car and Body

Today was to have been a weight training day. I spent much of the morning putzing around, and finally got motivated to head to the gym around mid-afternoon. I got in my car and turned the key, and all I got was "click, click, click". So...weight training was quickly replaced by purchasing and installing a new car battery. Today's training will have to be delayed until tomorrow, which may be a good thing, as I am still sore today from all the throwing I did yesterday.

My off-season training schedule looks something like this:

Monday - Weights
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Drills (in my garage). After mid-February the days will be long enough to allow after-work throwing.
Thursday - Weights
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Throwing
Sunday - Throwing

Weight Training Days:
- Incline sit-ups with weight
- "Good mornings"
- Torso torsion machine
- Bench press
- Overhead pulls
- Dumbell butterflies
- Power cleans
- Squats
All lifts are done with 3 sets of 6 reps. If 3 sets of 6 reps can be successfully performed, 5lbs of weight is added for the subsequent lifting session. The exceptions to this rule are the sit-ups and "good mornings" (which I currently perform with a 35lb weight at the back of my neck), and the torso torsion machine (which I maxed-out on weight quite a while ago - 215lbs I believe).

Throwing Days:
Discus (45 minutes) - 10-15 stands, 6-8 half-turns, 12-16 full throws.
Shot put (20 minutes) - 15-20 stands, 8-10 full throws.
Hammer (20 minutes) - 6-8 practice turns, 2-4 one-turn, 4-6 three-turn.
Weight (10 minutes) - 4-6 three-turn throws. (I only throw the weight once a week.)
Javelin (20 minutes) - 6-8 stands, 6-8 two-step, 6-8 three-step.

We'll take a look at how well this program has worked toward the end of January. It's a tricky balance of trying to devote time to both increasing strength and to improving technique, while allowing enough rest days in order to avoid over-training as well as mental burn-out.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Throw-athon

The weather was so good today I just had to go out and throw 'til I dropped. So I toted my 70.5 lbs of implements out to the schoolyard and proceeded to knock myself out...for three hours. Whew!

I didn't see all that many good throws today. Hammer felt awkward, shot put was just ok (pretty much like last time), and on discus I was mainly working on form, although I didn't feel like I had it in me to "go big" in discus either. All this might be due to some lingering soreness left over from my last visit to the weight room.

I was able to hit a PB in the weight throw, however - 41' 0". That felt pretty good, and bodes well for next season, because I was able to hit this distance with some pretty crappy footwork.

I've set the end of January as my first checkpoint for determining whether or not I'm on track to make my 2006 goals. That will give my new new weight lifting program 2 solid months to start showing some benefits, and there will still be almost 2 months left before the first meet of the season, just in case I need to make any adjustments in training.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Beautiful Christmas Weather

What a great week so far. Temperatures have been in the 70's...clear blue skies...not bad for the end of December.

Santa brought me a 5kg training hammer, but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. I can't wait to see what the lighter implement feels like.

I've been pretty good this week. Although I've consumed tons of calories I've been able to get out and throw twice, and lift weights twice. I suppose that's a benefit of not travelling up north this Christmas.

My lifts are continuing to climb upward, even though it's only in 5 pound increments. And I nailed a 2-step javelin throw just short of 120' the other day. That really blew away my previous PR, and with only a 2-step approach. I'm pretty encouraged about that.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

All I want for Christmas (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/21/05)

1) Aah, the gift that keeps on giving (see picture).
2) More distance in every event.
3) New throwing implements.
4) Oh yeah…and world peace

Almost Famous (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/21/05)

Holy crap! When I arrived at work and opened my email I learned I had been given some press in a pretty high-profile track and field blog. Jeez, I only wish I had high-profile track and field performances to go along with it. Don’t get me wrong, I can do fairly well when competing at the local level. And, I can typically medal at the state level. But, take the competition up a notch to Nationals or Worlds, where people show up who actually know what they’re doing, and…well it’s another story. If I remember from a by-gone blog entry, 8 discus throwers at Nationals last year posted marks in excess of my personal record. EIGHT! Of course, I keep telling myself that those days are behind me and next season I WILL RULE. But I sort of say that every year…The eternal optimist. (I used to think “hole in one” on every par 3 also.)

So here I am at work…basking in my new-found fame…dreaming of track and field glory…but with heating pad plugged in and strapped to my back. Kind of funny. Oh well, such is the life of a senior track and field wannabe.

I kind of remind myself of an old car I used to have – Once you got it running it was OK, but you were always a little afraid to turn it off because you never knew if you could get it going again.

Odds & Ends (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/20/05)

I woke up today with a terrible backache. How does someone who lifts weights and throws heavy objects on a regular basis get a backache after slacking off and not working out for 4 days? Maybe my SleepNumber bed needs recalibrating. Maybe I should stop sleeping with my discus…maybe this is “Blogger’s Back”?

The rain and cold weather have put a big damper on my training, and I must admit that I’m starting to get severe throwing withdrawals. I really need to make a discus fly at least every 3 or 4 days. It’s been over a week now since the last time I threw, and the weather reports would lead me to believe that this gap may be at least a 2-weeker. I hate the off-season! Only 88 days until the first meet of the “on-season”. I shall then kick some ass. (Or not!)

1/2 Donut (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/19/05)

The afternoon was pretty uneventful. I had a good workout at the gym after work though. I probably burned off 1/2 a donut. How am I ever going to get down that damn chimney?

Dry Run (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/18/05)

I tried to throw today.

Note to Self: Do not attempt to throw heavy objects (A) when it's rained 7 inches in the last 5 days, (B) it's cold, and (C) after eating at Taco Bell.

Rain, Rain…(Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/17/05)

It's raining again. It rained 6 inches last Wednesday alone. Needless to say, no throwing on Wednesday. Needless to say, no throwing today either. That's no good for timing and technique. Wah, wah, wah.

Pretty Good Day (Dec '05)

(originally posted 12/16/05)

It was a pretty good day today. Firstly, it's Friday. Need I say more? When your alarm clock goes off at 5:00am 5 days a week, turning the damn thing off on Friday night is a real pleasure.

Secondly, I checked the internet this morning and saw that I had moved up a few positions in the Hammer ratings. Sweet. I expect the same to happen soon in the Weight Pentathlon ratings, but there is some question as to what my actual score was. The meet director posted a number that was about 50 points higher than I calculated. (I think he screwed up.)

Thirdly, I had a good workout in the weight room after work. I moved up a few pounds in 4 of the lifts, and just as importantly, I'm starting to feel good afterward instead of beat up.

And fourthly, Christmas is almost here. "Charlie Brown's Christmas" is on the tube as I type. And various family members are getting ready to come visit. I feel one of my prize winning cherry pies coming on. 'Tis the season to gain weight!

Audios 2005 (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/14/05)

Although we’re still technically in 2005, all future entries will assume we are already in 2006. Who cares what the calendar says – it’s the track season that counts, and the 2005 track season is history.

Adios to 2005 then. The meets were fun…I had some successes…I had some disappointments…and I feel very optimistic about improving in 2006. You can’t ask for much more than that! See ya next season…

Lift-omania (Dec ’05)

(originally posted 12/13/05)

It's hard to believe, but I think I’m actually starting to enjoy lifting weights. That’s not like me at all, as anyone who looks at my strength numbers can attest to. But, I’m starting to see some strength gains in the weight room, and last Sunday I’m pretty sure I felt a difference where it really counts…while throwing. I noticed I was much better at maintaining balance through 3 turns in the hammer and weight. (I casually tossed out a 25# weight throw that was 2’ 5” beyond my PB.) Shot, discus and javelin are showing glimmers of improvement but they should come around more after another month or so of lifting. I’ve only been back in the weight room for 3 weeks now after all.

I’ve identified about a dozen meets I want to attend next season and have them marked on my calendar. This time I’m going to gear towards peak performances in about 3 of them instead of trying to peak for every one as I have done in the past. (How stupid is that anyway!) I would like big performances at the USATF Nationals, and the USATF Weight Pentathlon Championship, and maybe one other. We’ll see...

I’m a little frustrated that the meet director at the last meet hasn’t yet posted the results. It’s been almost a month now, and I have a couple of pretty embarrassing marks on mastersrankings.com that I would like to get replaced before the end of the season posting deadline freezes them forever in internet posterity.

Season Wrap-Up (Nov ’05)

(originally posted 11/21/05)

Well, it’s the end of another season, and although there were some disappointments there were also some bright spots to carry me forward to next year. I PB’d in 4 events this season, and missed a fifth by 1”.

I had a good time at last weekend’s meet. I didn’t perform as I had originally hoped but I was glad to have been able to compete without re-injuring my hamstring. That I was able to compete at all was pretty amazing considering that I couldn’t even walk without pain less than 2 weeks prior. The throws clinic yesterday was also encouraging, as I picked up several tips that I plan to focus on during the off-season.

Looking back on the year:

Hammer: I finished the year with a PR, but it was quite a bit short of my goal. Even though I’ve only thrown in 4 meets I know I’m on the verge of big improvements here. Ditto for the weight throw. I just need to work on the drills I’ve learned, and maybe buy a lighter hammer for developing better speed.

Shot Put: I did not throw well in the last few meets of the year, with my practice distances a good 3’ further than competition performances, and with the last meet tying the lowest of the year. Still, my average for the year was 1’ 7” further than last year. I’ve been toying with the idea of switching to the rotational style, but I’m not sure that’s for me. I also don’t want it to adversely affect my discus technique. Increasing strength is THE key to improving next year, as is working on maintaining torque in the power position.

Discus: A disappointing end to the year. I improved my season average by about 1’ but I was very inconsistent, and my best throws were no better than last year. I’m not falling in to the middle as badly as I have been, but my technique still needs a lot of work. I’m over-rotating, not continuing to turn in the middle, and losing torque in the power position.

Javelin: I seem to be stuck at around 100’ but I know that big improvements are right around the corner. Although this is primarily a technique event, some specific strength training will help a lot in being able to maintain a solid block, and also in being able to generate sufficient arm speed. Most importantly however, is to improve my technique through the drills that I learned in the clinic. I look for good things to happen here.

Off-season conditioning program:
- Bench press and plyo-pushups
- Hill sprints (forward and backward) with plyo-bounds on the way down, cross-overs.
- Power cleans, leg extensions and curls
- Lots of core work
- Pull-overs
- Educate myself about lifting cycles and periodization

Next meet is March 18, 2006. Exactly 117 days from today…16 full weeks of training. I had planned on taking a little time off, but I suddenly have a renewed sense of urgency.

Injured! (Nov ’05)

(originally posted 11/9/05)

Cramps in left hamstring on Saturday apparently resulted in a strained muscle. Couldn’t throw at all today. I’ll have to wait until Saturday to test it out, but right now I estimate that I’m 50-50 as to whether I can throw at the meeting on the 19th. Very disappointing.

Ouch…Cramps! (Nov ’05)

(originally posted 11/7/05)

Made some good progress with discus technique changes, but I apparently used some different muscles in the process. Severe cramps afterward - fell to the floor when the cramps began and banged up a knee on the corner of my desk. Much soreness even 2 days later. May do some upper body weights after work, and then rest until throwing again in 2 days.

God, I’m Hooked (Nov ’05)

(originally posted 11/4/05)

Can’t wait to throw tomorrow (Saturday). The end of Daylight Savings Time is killing me!

Amen Brother! (Nov ’05)

(originally posted 11/1/05)

I did a Weight Pentathlon over the weekend, and tried to make it as close to a real competition as I could. The results were very encouraging. 2926 points, which was 286 points better than my previous 5 event total. Big throws in shot (PB by 1’ 8.5”), discus (PB by 6’ 3”), hammer (PB by 11’ 2”), and javelin (PB by 5’ 1.5”). Respectable weight throw (missed my PB by 1’ 1”). I think I can do better at the next meet, and that 3000 points is well within reason. 5 PBs would be sweet.

The knee is still sore but is holding together, although maybe not improving all that much. Just a couple of weeks more and there will be plenty of time to heal up. There will be no long layoff like last year though. It took way too long to get it all back this Spring…maybe I’ll take just a week or two off this time around. It seems that at my age the period of training needed to recover from a layoff amounts to twice the length of the layoff. (tick, tick, tick)

The feedback I’ve been getting on discus from my Olympic “bud” has helped quite a bit. We’ve been trying to fix things one at a time. The improvements in technique have started to produce longer distances, but there’s a lot of additional distance to be had with some more technique changes. One surprise – I’m more relaxed prior to each discus throw, and that relaxation has carried over into the other events. I’m the exact opposite of one guy I throw against. He probably has the longest pre-throw routine I’ve ever seen, most of which involves him standing in the ring with his eyes closed and his head bowed, visualizing his throw…apparently, in slow motion. (I swear, someday I’m going to yell “Amen” at the end of this routine just to mess with him.)

Strained PCL? (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/25/05)

While practicing some discus technique changes yesterday I threw 41 meters (134’ 6”), and several around 40 meters!!! I also strained my posterior cruciate ligament in my right leg. Bad timing for an injury. I guess the plan now is for no throwing until it has healed, lots of upper-body work in the weight room, and then gradually resume
resume throwing drills with light implements before returning full-speed.

Rest Days, por favor (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/24/05)

I’ve been taking some additional rest days lately prior to the last hard training push during the next 3 weeks. The old “bod” just can’t take it week after week without a break, and one sure sign of this is the gradual drop off in throwing distances I’ve seen lately. Daylight Savings Time ends next weekend so that will eliminate my after work throwing sessions. It’s always a challenge to keep the timing together with just 2 throwing days a week.

I threw quite a bit last Saturday – mostly discus. I was trying to get a good one on video, but I never quite nailed one. Wore myself out trying though. The hammer, shot, and weight throws that followed suffered quite a bit from all of the discus work.

I’ve established 4 different targets for the upcoming Weight Pentathlon, that I’ve labeled “average”, “good”, “better” and “best” (2763 pts, 2886 pts, 2996 pts, and 3149 pts). While even the “average” marks would be a WP personal best for me, I can go out almost any day in practice and score at or above the “good” level. 3149 pts represents my dream meet - meeting my season goals and establishing new PBs in all 5 events. That would be very nice, but I would not be disappointed at just breaking the 3000 pt mark, and finally making the All American Standard in an event.

I’m Wearing Out (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/14/05)

Pretty good session yesterday afternoon despite a lot of fatigue. I’m looking forward to a day off today. My body needs it.

I’m getting more consistent in my 35’ throws in shot. That’s the first step toward 36’ throws I guess. I continued to work on hammer footwork and arm extension. Both are feeling more natural, although throwing distances aren’t improving yet. That will come. I’m a little concerned about discus. I’ve lost my good, balanced no-reverse block. Need to get that back in order to add to distances. In javelin I finally felt what the proper release is supposed to feel like. I don’t know if it was just a matter of needing to build up the right muscles, or if it was just by trial and error over hundreds of throws, but I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow and try to duplicate that feeling. It was sweet.

My Olympian Coach (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/13/05)

Pretty typical day (Not!) I traded emails with an Olympic discus thrower who has agreed to take a look at a jpeg of me throwing. How cool is that!

Today’s Goals (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/12/05)

Today’s training goals:

Hammer: Best chance for improvement in Weight Pentathlon points are with Hammer and Weight Throw. Continue to work on footwork. Practice an earlier catch, and accelerating the Hammer from 270 deg through 0 deg, but not past 0 deg.
Shot Put: Block, block, block, block, block. Hitting a good power position more consistently.
Discus: Smooth tempo, no forward weight shift in second single-support, good block, snap at the end.
Javelin: Good block, throwing with snap and over the top.

Revised Goals (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/10/05)

The weekend’s throwing sessions went pretty well. I was able to get the shot out around 35’ on each of the two days. I took it easy on discus on the first day and threw several around 125’. On the second day I ended up my throws with one around 130’. That would be a PR in competition, but still, it’s on the wrong side of 40 meters. I’m still searching for hammer technique. My footwork is improving, but my 2-turn throws need to become 3-turners very soon. My goal of 148’ may be a little optimistic unless something “clicks” in a hurry. Javelin is also a challenge. I worked exclusively on my block, and a good overhead arm strike. Distances aren’t there yet, but it feels as if a breakthrough could be right around the corner.

Only 5 ½ weeks of training left before the last meet of the season. Focus: One last push on strength training, and lots of technique work.

More realistic goals for the next meet:
Hammer – 125’
Shot – 35’
Discus – 131’ 3”
Javelin – 125’
Weight – 43’

Something Positive (Oct ’05)

(originally posted 10/4/05)

Training was pretty encouraging 2 days ago, so I can’t wait to get out this afternoon and work some more. I threw a hammer PR of 118’ 9” off of 1 turn. On the other events I was just concentrating on getting a good block and re-establishing good rhythm. Discus and javelin distances have just about returned to what they were before my recent layoff, but there is much improvement that can be obtained from improvements in technique. Shot is still a problem, although I was able to finally find a good power position on the last 2 throws of the day.

Goals for the day:
Discus – Work on balance, block, and “snap”. Need to be 130’+ consistently.
Shot – Work on block and consistently finding the power position. Need to be ~35’ consistently.
Javelin – Work on block, and body position. Need to start hitting 105’+ consistently.
Hammer – Improve 1-turn distance (~125’), begin working on 2-turns. “Catch” earlier.

Next meet goals:
Hammer – 148’
Shot – 35’
Discus – 131’ 3”
Javelin – 125’
Weight – 46’
Weight Pentathlon - 3343

Hurricane Rita (Sept ’05)

(originally posted 9/29/05)

Hurricane Rita blew through last weekend, and although there wasn’t much effect at my house, the highways were clogged with evacuees and gasoline was generally unavailable. Regardless, the State Senior Games were held in Austin and I was pretty disappointed about not making it. Posted results look like I would have easily finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in discus, javelin, and shot, respectively.

I have about 6 weeks of training left before the next (and last) meet of the year. Just one more chance at hitting some of the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of the season. Twelve more weight-lifting sessions…maybe 20 more throwing sessions. The days are getting shorter now, so after work throwing is going to become more and more abbreviated.

I took a week off from all training during the hurricane week, partly due to the storm, and partly due to excessive heat and humidity. Very unusual for this late in the year. I think the time off was probably a good thing, and will help me finish the year strong. Last year I suffered from over-training and just petered out at the end of the season.

Work Continues (Sept ’05)

(originally posted 9/15/05)

I threw last night for the first time since the meet. I’m still a little sore, but the results were encouraging.

Hammer: Did not actually throw, but went back to square one on turns and footwork. Felt some progress but there is still much to do. Footwork is still awkward, arms are not always extended but I’m getting better with that. Need to continue to work on the above, and also extending into the catch. Bad positioning here is keeping me from providing any meaningful acceleration at the beginning of turn 2 and subsequent.

Shot Put: First practice session for transitioning to the spin technique. It felt a little awkward but I was not as off-balance as I had feared. I need to do many, many half turns and step-ins to get comfortable. If I can get comfortable and begin throwing around 34’-35’ I may do the spin in the next meet.

Discus: Took about 8 full throws, and all were long. About half were beyond 130, and all appeared to be within the sector. I had a couple of foot fouls that I need to watch out for. All in all, things are going well and I just need to continue to throw hard and also get in the weight room.

Javelin: Back to square one here too. Working hard on a good plant and block, leading with a high elbow, visualizing a tennis serve motion, and staying relaxed. I took a couple of full throws and distances were 100’+.

Meet Results (Sept ’05)

(originally posted 9/12/05)

I’ve been nursing some strained muscles in my back since Saturday’s meet, but nothing serious. The meet went pretty well – not all performances were good, but there were some bright spots with some of the sub-par performances. Surprisingly, many of the “regulars” were not there so I placed pretty well, but it’s the distances thrown that are important.

Hammer: I began with a 28.88m 1-turn safety, which was good because I followed it with 3 fouls (sector, sector, foot). However, the fouls were close to being in, and the distances looked pretty good – 35m+ probably. More work on turns should produce good results in the November meet. I seriously think I can go over 41m then.

Shot Put: Somewhat disappointing. After several 35’ throws in practices leading up to the meet the best I could manage was a 32’ 11”. Seriously considering going to the spin before the next meet, as progress is just not coming using the glide.

Discus: Very encouraging here. After beginning with a long, over-rotated sector foul I settled down and threw 128’ 5” on my second throw. Subsequent throws were shorter, but just barely. My improvements in balance are translating to better consistency, which should open the door for a long throw soon.

Javelin: Javelin improvements are not happening, but based on practice sessions I shouldn’t have expected them. I just need to continue to practice proper technique. I managed 31.10m but I honestly believe I should/could throw 41m in November.

Weight Throw: Almost the same as hammer. I began with a 10.86m (35’ 7.5”) safety and finished with 2 sector fouls and a foot foul. The second throw was a line drive just short of 40’, throw 2 was around 42’, and throw 3 was at 40. 45’ (13.72m) is not out of the question in November.

All is not Lost (Sept ’05)

(originally posted 9/7/05)

I had a very encouraging practice last night. I’ve regained my rhythm in discus and shot. Hammer and weight were just tolerable, and although my form in javelin wasn’t any better I seemed to have picked up some distance.

Reality Sets In (Sept ‘05)

(originally posted 9/6/05)

The national rankings were updated over the weekend after about a month’s hiatus. Many updates were expected but I was surprised to see the discus results. 40.65m in the discus only warrants 25th place a this point in the season, whereas 38.45m held the same place at the end of 2004. Pretty amazing, and that will make it tough to get listed this season. I’ve never hit 40m in competition, although I’ve done it several times recently in practice. We’ll see…

I’m still battling a cold, although I’m on the mend. My lack of throwing has really set me back in all events. Things that were starting to come together have taken 2 steps back, and only time will tell if lots of reps can salvage some of those lost improvements before next Saturday’s meet. I was able to make videos on Sunday, but there’s not much need to go into detail here…no change in the problems identified on August 28th.

On Saturday I ought to be able to post marks in Hammer and Weight that will get me listed, and I’ve got a realistic shot at doing so in discus. I hope to improve in Javelin and Shot Put, but any hopes of being ranked will just have to wait until next season. I’m way too far from being competitive in those.

Lost Some Lbs! (Sept ‘05)

(originally posted 9/1/05)

Caught a cold and am laying off training for a couple of days. Threw 2 nights ago and it went well. Several discus throws at 40m, improvements in hammer and javelin too. Shot put was a disappointment, but I think I figured out the problem. Weather and health will hopefully allow another video session tomorrow.

Got my weight down to 195 yesterday for the first time in many months.

More Tech Talk (Aug ‘05)

(originally posted 8/28/05)

The new shoes are great. They are a big improvement and should reduce all those arch support problems I was having with the old ones. They’re fast too.

I strained some muscles in my back and neck that are causing problems today, probably while practicing the weight throw. Today’s video analysis:

Hammer
: Footwork more or less followed the proper pattern, but appeared pretty awkward. One-turn throw around 90ft, two-turn throws 105-110ft. All appeared to be in the sector. Bent arms are still a problem, as is rotating too far on each turn. Need to be much more aggressive on the last wind going into the first turn. Need to develop much more initial ball speed, similar to what I’ve done in the weight throw.

Shot Put: Block looks much better, but right leg kicks out too high. This causes a long pause in the center as I wait for it to plant before I begin to drive from the power position. I may need to copy Timmerman’s somewhat sideways leg kick…it seems to stay lower that way. I need to make sure that it doesn’t result in a premature unwinding of the upper body though. All throws in the 34-35ft range.

Discus: Over-rotation was much less, but still there. Need to pick up left leg earlier. Blocking leg lands way too far forward in the circle. This long step to the front at the end of the throw takes too much time, during which upper body torque is lost. The long step to the front appears to be caused by CG shifting forward during the second single-support phase, and the need to step forward to catch myself. With the CG so far forward by the time the front foot touches down there is very little room left to drive into the block. A slightly greater backward lean during the flight phase that is more in line with the leg of the “7” (video shows near vertical now, and in line with the direction of throw) should help the CG to remain over the pivot foot, and a conscious effort to keep the blocking leg close-in should help maintain rotation and keep the block less extended.

Javelin: I’ve got a long way to go here. Coming over the top a little better, but blocking leg still collapses, and back is not arched. Trajectory was ok but distances remain unchanged.

Weight Throw: Need to remain smooth, on balance, and relaxed. Weight slipped out early once causing a low throw, and late once causing a high throw. New beginning “wind” is still working but I need to make it a slow, long movement. Two-turn throw made 40ft.

New Shoes Baby! (Aug ‘05)

(originally posted 8/26/05)

Looking forward to reviewing tomorrow’s video, and also seeing if distances are starting to improve. Wednesday’s practice taught me that until these new habits are learned well, the most critical factor will be maintaining intense concentration on hitting the proper positions. Without it I just revert back to old habits. Petranoff’s feedback was disappointing. He basically told me that I bail out really bad, that I should do drills only and not throw anything for months, but mostly it was an invitation to send him money for additional coaching advice.

I’ve developed a slight groin pull that prevents me from working on my wide leg swing in discus. I may have to adopt more of a John Powell style until it heals.

New Nike Zoom Rotational-3’s arrived last night!!!

Tweaking Technique (Aug ‘05)

(originally posted 8/20/05)

Today's video analysis:

Hammer: Footwork shows some slight improvement but is not yet ingrained. Footwork is still too slow. Need to pick up left foot and begin to step at 90 degrees! Arms are better extended, but still need work. Throws were off-balance and partially facing the front.

Shot Put: Huge PR today on the final throw. This was the only throw that had something even close to a good solid block. Much improvement seen in the path of the shot across the ring. Much less bobbing up and down. Need to work on improving blocking leg, and without forgetting about upper body blocking.

Discus: Noticeable improvement in leg sweep, but still need to work on extension and "coming across" the front leg. Also, still over rotating a bit, especially when the leg sweep is weak. Need to also land and rotate in the center, without drifting forward. Throws were off-balance and with a weak block.

Javelin: Saw the first hints of a leg block today. Much work still needed. Strengthening leg, losing weight, and many repetitions will help. Trajectory was ok. We'll see what tips Petranoff will provide.

Weight Throw: New starting position seems to be a plus. One-turn throws near 40 feet. Need to practice this event more and work hard in the weight room.

There’s Still Hope (Aug ‘05)

(originally posted 8/17/05)

Last night's practice produced some encouraging results.
Hammer: Several one-turn throws in the 95-100 foot range. One two-turn throw was taken and it landed well past 100 feet. All were within the sector, and were on-balance.
Javelin: Several three-step throws of around 100 feet.
Shot: Most throws past 33 feet. One throw of 34' 8.5".
Discus: Several throws past 125 feet, but with a good, slow start and with good balance at the end.

I Stink! (Aug ‘05)

(originally posted 8/15/05)

A combination of very poor performance and high expectations made the USATF Weight Pentathlon National Championships one of my most disappointing meets to-date, and I've done a lot of soul-searching since returning from Arlington. I always want to do well and to be competitive, but I need to remind myself that at this level of competition I'm competing with several former Olympians, and most of the rest are former college Track & Field athletes. Even though I might not be able to win against this level of talent, I will not be able to enjoy these competitions unless I do well by my own standards. In order to do so, I have to go back and work on the only 2 controllable factors that contribute to throwing performance - technique and conditioning.

Poor Technique (After video analysis yesterday)

Hammer: (Meet results: "ND" due to 2 sector fouls, and 1foot foul.)

The number one problem here is that my turns are slower than the hammer, so each rotation takes me a little further past 0 degrees, as my feet try to catch up with the hammer. After three turns, these errors have accumulated to the point that I am releasing the hammer when I am more or less facing the direction of the throw. The result is throws that are out of the sector, or off balance to the point of producing a foot fault. A second serious problem is that I am not keeping my arms fully extended.

To correct these problems I will begin by practicing 1-turn throws, with emphasis on (1) returning to 0 degrees after the turn and with good footwork, (2) keeping my arms fully extended throughout, (3) "catching" the hammer high, at 270 degrees, and (4) finishing the release with a strong block. When I am able to perform 1-turn throws with competence (I ought to be able to throw near 100' when done properly) I will begin adding turns. I will not add a turn until I have mastered the previous number of turns. I hope to be able to perform 2-turn throws in the next meet in 4 weeks.

Shot Put: (Meet results: 10.04 meters.)

The path of the shot put across the ring is not linear. It rises abruptly at the beginning, dips significantly in the middle, and then rises again from the power position. This action produces a second problem, which is a long pause in the middle of the ring as the shot settles from its high trajectory. This long pause wastes much of the forward momentum across the ring. Finally, my blocking action is poor. I begin to pivot and drive while my blocking foot is still in the air.

To correct these problems I need to focus on driving off in a more horizontal direction (low to high). I need to "groove" hitting a good power position in the middle, and immediately exploding into a good block. Repeated drills at 80% effort and with a light shot should help with this. The light shot should also help develop a sense of quickness across the ring.

Discus: (Meet results: 2 sector fouls, and a "safety" of 33.64 meters.)

Over-rotation in the first single-support phase is the big problem here. This results in a loss of torque in the middle, and throws that are wide to the right.

To correct this I will focus on a slow initiation of the throw, picking up my leg early, and rotating the right foot early but not past the direction of the throw. With the right foot locked in place I will continue with a strong, wide left leg sweep, which crosses in front of the right leg immediately before the flight phase. Keeping my chest high throughout the throw, and paying attention to my center of balance is critical. The momentum achieved by not over-rotating, will result in an accelerated spin rate in the middle, and good torque as I move into the power position.

Javelin: (Meet results: Longest throw of 29.09 meters.)

Changing to the fork grip appears to have eliminated the tendency of the javelin to yaw left or right during the flight. The point is sticking more consistently also. What is lacking is sufficient power to propel the javelin in a long, high arc. My trajectory may be a little low also, as my throws turn over and begin their downward flight while the throws of the other throwers are still climbing. I am losing power by (1) not having a fully extended arm prior to the throw, (2) a weak block, and (3) poor timing of the arm strike. This timing issue also results in a lower trajectory throw, as the throw is coming after the block has reduced the backward lean somewhat.

Over-coming problem #1 should be achievable through many repetitions of standing throws, and with 2-step throws. Problem #2 comes from my body's reflex to protect my knee. Increasing leg strength and decreasing body fat should help overcome this, but it will take many slow repetitions with a locked blocking leg before a strong block becomes a habit. Problem #3 is caused by throwing late - after the block. Videos of world-class throwers clearly show them initiating their arm action just before the block.

Weight Throw: (Meet results: 2 sector fouls, and a "safety" of 10.39 meters)
See "Hammer" comments.

Fitness/Conditioning

Throwing fitness is all about quickness and strength. Quickness is largely dependent on one's power-to-weight ratio. I have quite a bit of body fat that could be dropped, and have chosen weight reduction goals of 5 pounds before the Sept 10th meet (195 pounds), and a total of 10 pounds by the last meet of the season on Nov 19th (190 pounds). I have chosen these modest goals because of the limited amount of time remaining in the year. I almost certainly could stand to lose more than 10 pounds to be in top shape, and will not stop at losing 10 pounds should I make my goal before the November meet.

To develop strength I will begin a weight-lifting/plyo/running program that is recommended for throwers. I will work hard in the weight room, but I will also be careful to allow sufficient recovery time between sessions.

Only modest improvements in both body weight and strength should be expected in the short amount of time left in the season, but together they should contribute to a noticeable improvement in performance. However, significant improvement should be achievable before next season.

Improving flexibility could assist me in hitting certain positions, and in the javelin run-up.

Black Friday (Aug ‘05)

(originally posted 8/2/05)

I awoke today to learn that I've dropped out of the top 25 listing for discus. Roger C. is holding #25 by just 3cm. It's disappointing, but I'm actually more upset that I'm not in the top 10. While my consistency has improved this year, as evidenced by the average of my competition throws, my maximum distance has not. It's time for some changes in my training and practice. Only a fool does the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.

I'm encouraged by something I noticed in an Alekna video yesterday - the complete rotation of his first single-support foot toward the front of the ring, while his body is at zero degrees and just as he lifts his swing leg. I've begun working on hip flexibility to try to copy this move. It appears that it could produce a great stretch reflex in the swing leg prior to exiting the back of the circle. The energy developed by the resulting wide, powerful leg swing can't help but be translated to the discus at the front of the ring. We'll see if I can't work this move in to my throws at the August 13th meet. I'm running out of practice days however, and the late afternoon rains we've been having aren't helping at all.

Since the upcoming meet is a weight pentathlon meet I am also looking for some improvement in the other 4 events. Javelin holds the biggest opportunity for improvement, but is the most puzzling for me. I know I've got the strength to throw a lot farther, but getting it to fly with a good trajectory is proving to be quite a challenge. The hammer/weight-throw are also promising for improvement. I was making some progress prior to leaving on vacation, but I've lost much of what I had gained. I plan on making many, many turns between now and the 13th. I need to get much more comfortable before I can expect to add the speed required for good distances. Finally, shot put appears to be stuck at the 34' mark. I don't think I should expect quick improvements here because so much of it involves building strength, but I do think that with good form and a solid block I can go over 35'. My current PRs in the 5 events puts me at 2779 points in the WP. It's an aggressive goal, but I would like to be at around 2900 points on the 13th. My discus and shot are consistently around my PRs, and since I'm still learning the other 3 events, PRs in those ought not to be out of the question.

Back from Vacation (July ‘05)

(originally posted 7/29/05)

I just finished 2 weeks of travel (2 vacation trips) right at the peak of the throwing season, during which I had zero workouts and only a couple of days of doing anything remotely strenuous. Only my performance at the next meet will tell me if this was a major mistake or if it was a good thing. I got a ton of rest, but I hate that I had to roll the dice like this just prior to the National Weight Pentathlon Championships. Tonight we'll see if I can remember how to throw anything.

While I was away it doesn't appear that I have been bumped from the top 25 in the discus rankings (although I've slipped to #25 on 7/18), and my local competition performed rather poorly at the Texas Masters Championships.

Bright Spots (July ‘05)

(originally posted 7/12/05)

A couple of bright spots to report today - First, it appears that I've held at #24 in the discus rankings without having posted any improved marks since my first one back in April (when I was briefly #3!). Second, I had a very encouraging training session yesterday evening.

I think I made some real progress in my discus drills, which will help prevent over-rotating, and in blocking stronger. In javelin, I think using the mental image of a tennis serve at release is going to help quite a bit. The key here is to get enough reps in so I can build up the proper muscles to carry it off during competition. 40 meters in discus and 35 meters in javelin are not out of the question at the USATF Nationals in August.

The “Grunt” (July ‘05)

(originally posted 7/11/05)

The Cat Springs "Grunt" was a fun time again this year. I managed a 34' PR in shot, but the landing area was sloped so I'm not overly ecstatic about it. I threw the discus a respectable 127' 9.5" despite a horrible case of the "over-rotates", and an unfavorable wind. If I can only fix that I think 135' will be easily do-able. My turning drills really helped my weight and hammer throws. On only my second meet for those events I was able to post fairly respectable numbers of 40' 2" and 98' 9", respectively. The wheels really came off in the javelin however, with a throw of only 77' 4". Back to the drawing board on that one. My unofficial Weight Pentathlon score came in at 2632 points, up 116 from last time out.

Focus between now and the USATF Weight Pentathlon Nationals on August 13th:
General - Train as much as possible on the days I'm not out of town. Do drills and exercises on the days I am out of town.
Discus - Not over-rotating, and a good balanced block.
Shot - Hitting a good power position, "popping" the left hip, good block.
Javelin - Consistent trajectory, leading with the elbow, snapping the arm, good block.

Hammer/Weight - Accelerating on each rotation, straight arms, good block.

Meet Prep (July ‘05)

(originally posted 7/6/05)

I've noticed some drop-off in my training distances in the last day or so. I may need a couple of days of rest before Saturday's meet. Today I plan to do slightly fewer reps, but nothing above 80% effort. Tomorrow…maybe half of the normal reps at 80%. Friday, will be “shadow practice” only. This routine doesn't equate to a full taper, but then the meet on Saturday is more social and less competitive than most.

Looking ahead, my big problem is going to be spending too much time away from throwing during the next three weeks due to family vacation plans. Maybe I can use that time to do some drills, stretching, and running so all won't be lost.

My discus ranking has now dropped to 24th.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Dropping Again! (June ‘05)

(originally posted 6/29/05)

The downhill slide in my discus ranking continues. The June 28th list shows me all the way down to 23rd. If I don't post a better mark than I already have I may drop off the list entirely. At this point it's going to take a throw better than 142' in order to make the top 10. I occasionally have a practice throw around the 140' mark, so I just need to increase the frequency of those in hopes that I'll nail one during a competition.

Both last Saturday's meet, and Sunday's clinic went well. I got up at 4:30am both days for the drive over to Austin. I PR'd in shot by 1/2 inch, but I had been throwing close to a foot longer in practice. Discus was much better than the last meet, and back to where I typically throw, but I really need 15-20 feet more if I'm going to make the top 10 this year. Javelin wasn't quite as good as the last meet, but they counted flat throws at that meet, and I'm not sure their marks were very accurate either. I was able to complete my first hammer and weight competitions. 83' 10" and 35' 1" are nothing to brag about, but then they aren't too embarrassing either. Not bad for a first try anyway. My unofficial (and very first) Weight Pentathlon score wound up at 2516 points.

I learned a lot of good stuff in the javelin, shot, and hammer clinics. It was a major disappointment that I had to leave before the discus clinic though. (The discus clinic was my main reason for going too!) It was held at about 1:30pm, and just before lunch I started feeling weak and disoriented. I think I was beginning to be affected by the heat. My face was red and I had also stopped sweating. It was all I could do to get in the car near the air conditioning and drive the 2.5 hours home...very disappointing.

Meet Results / Rankings (June ‘05)

(originally posted 6/21/05)

New Masters rankings were posted today, which included performances from the National Senior Olympics held earlier in the month in Pittsburgh. No less than 8 discus throwers posted marks better than my all-time PR (and the #1 thrower in the country didn't even attend the meet). Very humbling...I've now slipped from #10 to #17 in the rankings. If I'm going to make my goal of ending the year in the top 10, I've got exactly 151 days left before the last meet, and 3.01m of improvement needed...and that's assuming the distance needed for 10th place holds steady. Given the marks people are posting this year even a 4m improvement might not be enough to guarantee a top 10 finish.

I've completely dropped out of the shot put and javelin rankings, with little chance of getting listed again. A good javelin throw this weekend might get me back on that list temporarily, but based on last year's distances it won't last long. I always knew I wouldn't be on these lists at the end of the year, but it's still no fun when you actually see it happen.

I hit a 34' 8" in shot last night on level ground...35' is a possibility in Austin this week. Javelin remains at around 100'-105', and I was able to get off 4 consecutive throws in hammer last night...there may yet be hope! All should benefit from Sunday's throws clinic. My discus technique is resisting the changes I'm trying to make, so it's questionable as to whether I'll see them under the stress of competition. I'm having a lot of trouble "grooving" the early leg pick-up and transitioning it into a powerful, wide sweep. I couldn't get anything past around 126' last night. I'm probably over-trained right now, and will benefit from some days off before Saturday's competition. I'm planning for another hard practice tonight, and then on Wednesday I'll do some "shadow" throws, and then nothing until Saturday. We'll see...

Meet Prep (June ‘05)

(originally posted 6/17/05)

I threw last night for the first time in over a week. Discus was a little rusty, but I'm hopeful that I'll regain my timing prior to the meet on the 25th. Shot put was very strong, with several throws in the 34' range and one huge PR of 35' 8" (sloped landing sector). No improvement in javelin or hammer. I need to do many slow hammer turns this week!

Some Progress (June ‘05)

(originally posted 6/15/05)

After the disappointing meet in May, I had some good workouts in the weight room and had some encouraging throwing sessions. I popped a discus throw out over 135', which was very gratifying, and saw some improvement in Javelin as well. Then I ran into some health problems that have prevented me from getting in much training for almost 2 weeks now. I think I may be about ready to resume training now, which is not a minute too soon, as the next meet is less than 2 weeks away. That should be just barely enough time to get my timing back, and to work a little more on that wide leg whip that seems to be a key to long discus throws. Regardless of what happens at the meet on Saturday I'm really looking forward to participating in my first throws clinic on Sunday. It's about time I finally had some knowledgeable guidance. Goals for the meet are: DT-131' 3" (40m), SP-35' 0", JT-114' 10" (35m), HT-101' 8.5" (31m), WT-36' 1.5" (11m)...all of these goals represent significant PRs. This will be my first competition in hammer and weight, so I just want to be able to post some reasonable marks this first time out.

Recent Progress:
Discus - I had been throwing consistently in the high 120's in practice, with an occasional 130'+ throw. With a favorable wind I might be able to challenge the 40m mark in competition. Much depends on how my 2 week lay-off has affected me.
Shot - I had been frequently throwing 34'+ in practice, but it's hard to say how much the sloping landing area is contributing to this. Still, 35' is do-able if I really nail one. My recent loss of a few pounds of body weight should help my speed across the ring. The fastest path to real improvement here is going to take me through the weight room though, and that takes time.
Javelin - I'm still having problems with getting a good trajectory on a consistent basis. When it happens, I'm out past 105'. I had one practice throw that appeared to be close to 115' the other day, and it felt very good. I look forward to the clinic to help clear up some fundamental question I have regarding grip and body position.
Hammer/Weight - I'm a rank beginner here, and I'm not able to even complete my throws about half the time due to poor footwork. Here again, I'm really looking forward to the clinic to get me started down the right path.

Meet Results (May ‘05)

(originally posted 5/22/05)

In spite of PRs in shot (33' 7.5") and javelin (103' 10.5") my discus performance was a big disappointment. I could only manage 107' 6". I had 3 throws of nearly identical distances, and one foul. I was way too fast out of the back, and was throwing off-balance and out of the hole. The surface was slick and had me worried about slipping, and there was a slight tailwind. In short, I choked big time. I will immediately stop all full throws during practice and will focus on drills until I can regain my technique. Areas of emphasis:
Discus - Slow out of the back, wide leg sweep, good pivot, solid block, smooth acceleration from start to finish, feel the "long pull".
Shot - Maintain shoulders square or slightly torqued through the landing, good block, power through with good leg drive and proper ball position.
Javelin - Squared up lower body at block, throw over the top, armed wrapped and high, quick whip action. Good flight attitude.
Hammer/Weight - Lots of slow turns, keep knees together, focus on maintaining balance through 4 turns.

Meet Prep (May ‘05)

(originally posted 5/20/05)

Tomorrow is a fairly big meet in Austin, and although I am looking forward to it, I am also looking forward to it being behind me so I can begin my new training program. This week, as I took a training break in anticipation of the meet, I decided that I needed a major overhaul of my training approach. I would like to post some good throws tomorrow. I am hopeful for PRs in shot and javelin but I haven't been seeing the progress in discus lately that I would have hoped to have seen. We'll see how it goes (maybe the week off will help my discus), and then I’ll return home and start to work. It will be difficult to top the last meet, where I threw PRs in shot and javelin, and missed my discus PR by 1", but I've set a goal for myself to PR in all 3 events (DT-130', SP-35', JT-100'). Heck – PRs are my goal in every meet.

My first year's training consisted of throwing as hard as I could, and working out with weight machines in order to build some basic level of muscle tone. Last year I began to work some drills into my throwing practice, but I continued to use the weight machines for conditioning. I blamed any lack of throwing progress on not working hard enough, and as a consequence I did not schedule enough recovery days in my routine. By the end of the year my distances started to fall off, and I just burned out. I took off almost 2 months in the off-season before I felt ready to start training again. This year I am being careful to schedule adequate recovery time between workouts, I'm concentrating more on throwing drills to improve my technique, and beginning next week I am making the switch to using free weights and a weight lifting regimen designed for throwers. THAT is how I think I will improve my discus PR by 10' by the end of the year. There are still almost 6 months left between now and the last meet of the year, and I hope to be seeing some benefits from the new program well before then. Next year, after a year of quality training, I should really see some improvement...and hopefully be throwing 150' in the discus, and >40' in the shot.

Blog Beinnings (May ‘05)

(originally posted 5/19/05)

Yes it's true that I went 36 years without touching a discus, but what's equally as important to note is that when I did throw discus way back when, I basically sucked. I always thought I had some potential in the sport because of my long arms and decent coordination, but I was never very big, or strong, or fast. Equally as important, there was no one available to coach me in the finer points of discus technique.

In Texas back in the 1960's all junior high school coaches were football coaches first and foremost, but they were obligated to coach the other sports as the seasons changed. Some coaches were fairly decent in making the transition to basketball, but Track & Field ran a distant third in popularity...with "Field" even less of a priority than "Track"...and of course, of all the field events, the throwing events were the least glamorous of them all. Our "coaching" amounted to someone who knew nothing about throwing tossing some old rubber discs to a group of kids who had never seen discs before, and telling them to try to figure it out. From what I’ve seen, very little has changed at the junior high level.

My high school years were spent exploring the “hippy scene”, such as it was in West Texas back then, and athletics were definitely not “cool” within the circle of friends I kept. That momentum carried forward through my college years, where the demands of academics and a part-time job also allowed little time for recreational activities. Then came career, marriage, divorce, and remarriage. During this 25-year period there were a handful of years in which I dabbled off-and-on at running many 10ks, and one half-marathon.

So here I am, now 39 years after my initial discus experience, and now I’m at the beginning of my 3rd season of my big comeback. (Although the term “comeback” would presuppose that you had some level of prior expertise to come back to!) I was talked into taking up the discus again by my boss. Her husband ran our company's corporate track team and they thought that a 50 year-old discus thrower might help the team because of the age-grading system. I agree to begin practicing, and soon realized how much I enjoyed making it fly. I barely broke 100' during that first meet, but it was enough to get me hooked, and I immediately started working toward 150'.

At present my PR is 128' 7", but I hope to increase that by about 10' during this season. That should put me pretty close to where I need to be to meet my goal of 150' sometime next year. Last year I also began throwing the shot a little, primarily so that when I drove 3 hours to meets I would have more than 45 minutes of action before I headed home. I have now gotten more serious in shot, and this year I'm trying to add javelin, hammer and the 25# weight throw to my repertoire. Hopefully, my skills will start to come around and I will be able to participate in my first Weight Pentathlon toward the end of this season.

My hope is that by maintaining this web page I will be more focused on my goals, and more motivated to continue to work hard.

Coming Soon...


This blog is under development. Initial postings will be published sometime between Christmas and the end of the year. Until then, please visit me at "Take it from Jake".