Splish-Splash

So far this year (as of Jan 24th) we’ve gotten 5.35 inches of rain at my house, including 3.94 inches in the last 2 weeks when the temperatures were in the 30’s for much of the time. During that 2-week period I’ve been able to go out and throw the discus once.

The one time I was able to throw the landing area was so muddy out beyond 100 feet that I was only able to do ½-speed throws with the 2kg discus, or else risk sinking up to my knees in mud while shagging it. Ok, I’m exaggerating about the knees…ankles maybe.

To summarize, we’ve had some really bad throwing weather recently, the first meet is now just 58 days off, and I’m becoming very frustrated. True to form, the forecasters are calling for a sunny Thursday and Friday this week with rains returning for the weekend.

If this weather pattern doesn’t end soon I’m going to go crazy(er).

Odds and Ends

Some recent reading has convinced me that good discus spin technique can produce a 20% or greater increase over one’s standing throw distances. I had previously thought that the number was more like 15%. This is encouraging, but how do you get there from here? I’m currently getting only about an 11% increase. Hmmmm.

I got on the bathroom scales this morning and the dial read 204. I stepped off and immediately got back on and it flashed 190. Wow – I dropped 14 pounds in just under 5 seconds. Not too shabby. (I may need to go to shopping for scales this weekend.)

Cold and wet weather have kept me out of the throwing ring for way too long. This is not a good thing, both for me and for the people who have to live with me. After about a week they try to avoid making eye contact with me, and the dogs hide under the bed when I get home. Well, maybe it’s not quite that bad…but it's close.

The Weakest Link

Throwing triggers a chain of events that involves a number of different parts of the body. Forces are generated by the legs first, and are then transmitted upward through the torso and finally out to the discus through the pectoral muscles. To get the most out your body the strength levels of the various muscles groups involved must be balanced. Like a chain, the throw will only be as strong as the weakest link.

I found a weak link in myself yesterday. I decided to run a little (for a change) so I ran a measly set of 6 x 20yd wind sprints at the end of my throwing session. I can barely walk today. Everything from my waist down hurts. What an eye-opener that was.

Hacked Off in Houston

Ok – I’m a little hacked off today. My “Registration Handbook” for the Senior Olympics Summer Nationals arrived on January 3rd. There was an opportunity for freebies and $ off if you were one of the first 1500 athletes registered before December 29th though – Gee, sorry I missed the deadline. That’s not what I’m hacked off about, but it does sort of set the tone for the rest of the story.

What I’m hacked off about is that I was pretty excited about qualifying for the 2007 Nationals in Discus and Hammer during the 2006 season, and I was seriously thinking about attending. That is, until I read my “Registration Handbook”.

According to the rules, you have to pick up your registration packet a day in advance. That pretty typical but it necessitates a night’s stay in a hotel, unless you just happen to live in Louisville, Kentucky. Then, they conveniently placed an “idle” day in-between the Hammer and the Discus competitions. That makes for 3 nights in a hotel – minimum. And that’s assuming you can get a flight out of Louisville late in the day of the last competition. Otherwise, you’re looking at 4 hotel nights. Oh yeah, did I mention the non-refundable entry fee?...$115 for your first event, and $25 for the second one. Cha-Ching - $140. Plus $50 extra if you get your registration in after February 15th. ($190 for just 2 events if you fail to enter 4-1/2 months in advance! – Are you kidding me!) As if that’s not enough, the throwing events have been inconveniently scheduled between July 1st and July 4th. Gee, I guess you either have to pay for hotel rooms for your entire family too, else they just have to do without you for the holidays.

Needless to say, for a total tab on the wrong side of $1000 the Senior Olympics Summer Nationals can bite me.

Happy 10k to Me!

By my estimates, at some point late in 2006 I logged my 10,000th discus throw since taking up the sport back in 2003. That’s 10,000 trial-and-error attempts at finding the secret to throwing far. I have to admit that the vast majority of those 10,000 throws fell into the “error” category, but there were a few bright spots too – like the day one went 152’ 1”.

I’m really looking forward to the next 10,000 throws. Maybe there will be some more 150 footers.