Cautious or Overcautious?!

I was felling a little lower back and left shoulder soreness so I skipped the last three day lift rotation.  I did do my stairs on Thursday.  I figured this break would help me left hamstring, which I have been nursing slowly along.  It made  big difference.

Today at practice, being fresh, my poles were moving pretty easy.  I could use my first pole from 2 lefts/4 steps, and my 2nd easily from 3/6.  I didn't make a bar because I was too cautious on my run to protect my leg.  

It's obviously getting better but I didn't want to push it.  Because of this I wasn't running that fast even though I felt good.  So I got stupid height over 10'4"/3.15m and brushed it on the way down a few times.  I quit while I was ahead and did my sleds and felt fortunate to be making progress.  

My vault timing is a little out of sync but it's closer.  I can tell that what Im doing is working as planned. I just have to remain cautious and patient.  Have a great Halloween!  Bubba

Oingo Boingo - "Dead Man's Party" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYvafg7BdwM

Jump Day!!

Clear for takeoff - kind of

Nothing says I'm ready to jump more than dead legs and feeling my left hamstring on my 4th of 5 light sled pulls.  Because of this I was super careful.

Not wanting to push my leg at all, I moved my run in almost 2' and started on a 1340 and then a 1345.  I felt I needed something smaller than my 12'4/155.  Got in some nice complete vaults with no bar and cleared 9'9"/3m 3 or 4 times easily.

Finished my sleds and shut it down. Thankful for small victories.  Have a great day!  Bubba

Metallica - "For Whom the Bell Tolls" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17HRV8k1YMw

Short Day!!

I vault tomorrow so this is my only short day.  Arms and shoulders is always challenging but I have no cardio and do half the stretching.  

I learned a long time ago that muscles are just like a rubber band, if you stretch it too much, it doesn't come back.  So before meets, doing a no stretch one day, followed by a half stretch the next day gives you flexibility and snap.  During training I don;t ever skip a stretch day but I do allow myself a half stretch day on Tuesday.  Have a wonderful Tuesday!  Bubba

Dire Straights - "So Far Away" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ50W3AOFjk

Usual Title Here!!

The message is the same; I'm grinding away, day to day, willing myself through every workout.  I look around and see how weak I am and I know there are no shortcuts.  As hard is it is to face this anemic reality, the only solution is to continue, day after day, after day, after day for at least a year.  And THAT is the mindset I'm currently stuck with.  On a long long road and I'm presently basically nowhere.

I think that by Reno in mid January, that three months of this work will show up a little bit.  That said, even then it's only the tip of the iceberg with what I need to continue to do.  It truly is a day in day out decision and today I made it.  Thanks for listening!  Bubba

Megadeth - "In My Darkest Hour" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW0Ao9r2zkY

It Gets Harder!!

This is one of those days where you just don't feel good. It's pouring down rain, you don't want to be in the gym, everything is a struggle, yet you make yourself continue.

I made myself believe the truth; if I don't take these actions consistently for the next year, I will simply not come close to the goals I have set for myself.  It doesn't matter what I've done before.  I'm starting over as a nobody and I"m going to embrace that.  As JJ Watt says, "Good is the enemy of great".

Today was a victory because I persevered and made myself focus on each component as if it were the key to my overall success. I hope I can muster this fortitude the next time.  I need many days like this, but I also need to win every one of them.  Have a great Sunday!  Bubba

Beck - "Loser" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSPaXgAdzE

Today Was a Good Day?

Today was the Halloween Vault at my new vault home.  Because I felt a little groin and hamstring twinge on Wednesday, I decided not to compete.  The plan was to do some take offs from two and three lefts, and hopefully not get hurt.  I did this, and got in six easy sleds with no pain.  Today was a good day.  Looking forward to Wednesday.

Since I'm starting over, I need a bit smaller pole than my start pole, so I found a little 1335 and 1340 I can use before hitting my 12'4/155.  I may need one other one too but I'll see.  The objective is a ton of good technical jumps without pressing my legs.

As I said last time, it's a given my legs will never feel good on jump days.  Just the day before yesterday I did a leg session so hard I felt weak the rest of the day.  WELL, I'm almost afraid to say this, but I was surprised by how snappy my legs felt on the runway both days.  Shocked is more like it but I'll take it.  Have a wonderful evening and thanks for your support.  Bubba

Ice Cube - "Today Was a Good Day" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4UqMyldS7Q

Keep Grinding!!

These long days, 8,8,6,6 are very tiring physically and mentally.  I've got to remember to just get through it, don't rush and don't push the weights.  Just survive it.  And I did .. today ... somehow. Have a great day.  Bubba

ACDC - "For Those About to Rock" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtMGoU9NcMo

Hard Leg Day!!

I've been dreading this one for a bit.  The day after my major jump day on Wednesday, my lift reps for legs are 8,8,6,6 rather than 8,6,4 on the next rotation.  I try to push hard but the focus is on muscular endurance.  I made it.  Bad but not as bad as expected.  Cheers for small victories!  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!  Bubba

REO Speedwagon - "Riding the Storm Out" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVFgEBq0EKM

Jump Day - Kind Of!!

Forgot to post yesterday but it was a good arms and shoulders day.  I was concerned going in because they had a gap in a couple of their barbell sizes, but it's going to work out fine.  Didn't feel good at all in the legs so I was very concerned about jumping today. Also I had been feeling some deep hamstring soreness in my left leg even though I hadn't run.

Today was the first day at College Station.  Beautiful facility that will work out perfectly for my Wednesday and Saturday jump days.  I probably should have taken my two smaller poles as I had to work a little harder than I wanted to to use my first one from three lefts.  Of course from four it's too small.

Getting some kinks out.  I felt a hint in my right groin after a good take off and then later on, I felt my left hamstring deep on my sleds.  I shut everything down before injury.  Though I did not try a bar I felt better than I did last Wednesday.

For awhile the problem is going to be that my legs will always be beat up, and I will never feel good when I vault.  Well, until I get in good shape.  I'm good with this because it will keep me at a low level and let me work on technique.  Thanks for your support and have a great day!  Bubba

Times Like These!!

Listening to the great Foo Fighters song, "Times Like These" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhzmNRtIp8k and feeling fortunate. Grateful in every way!  Thank you for being a big part of that.

Chest and back lift today went well, as did the cardio and stretching.  As mentioned, the cardio is not for fitness as much as it's for speed endurance.  Rather than take the pounding of intervals on the track I'm substituting the Gauntlet StairMaster one day, followed by the LifeCycle the next.

I'm feeling at peace as I train. I'm getting to the gym early enough that I'm not in a rush and can therefore really focus on every detail.  I'm also showing great discipline on my extended stretching.

Today I felt strong enough to push the weights up a little bit and my bars are getting easier. All in all, a very sound start. Have a great day and thanks for your support.  Amount lifted today was 24,602 with 20 bar reps.  Bubba

Accountability!!

I've been in maintenance mode for so long that I was forced to train by instinct and time available.  What can I do, or what do I need to do the most, for the time I have before I'm traveling again?

A big part of my move back to the Houston area (The Woodlands), was to be more centralized for my travel, and to avoid a lot of it completely unless absolutely necessary.

My intent is to start recording weights lifted and posting here daily.  If it's not urgent enough to make me accountable, then who am I kidding?  Glad o be back and thanks for your support!  Bubba

Living Colour - "Cult of Personality" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0

Rising Up!!

As I went to the gym this morning, I was remembering that in the early stages you aren't actually strong enough to exert the force or circulation to get a pump.  This morning was arms and shoulders and BAM, I'm pumped and strength is clearly coming back fast. I owe this to the fact that I've basically trained my entire life, so I respond pretty quickly.

As a kid I used to get up at 4 AM when my dad got ready for work, and I did a workout in my little barbell set.  In high school a group of our friends would go out for a five mile run at 4 AM before the school.  I don't get it now but I'm glad that's in my genes.

I've been through all four training rotations now and am refining what I had planned to do with what I will actually do.  At this point the momentum has already started.  I've recently been dealing with some very real personal and financial struggles so this metamorphosis is needed.  All sings point up!!  Thanks for your support!  Bubba

Ozzy - "No More Tears" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CprfjfN5PRs

Carry On!

Every avalanche starts with a single snowflake - I am the snowflake right now.

I'm trying to make a huge focus on cardio and stretching. The stretching is obvious, but the cardio is for speed endurance, and to allow me to take more jumps.  Interesting story about this.

I trained a friend one time, who with eight knee surgeries, could not run.  So of course he came to me with a goal to run a 60 second 400m, or a "4 minute mile pace" in his mind.

I put him on the "Gauntlet", the REAL stair, StairMaster and not that little wussy ride up and down, the LifeCycle on the hill profile, and lifted legs a lot. Every two weeks he would run a 200m run to see where he was.

In six months he was ready to enter a masters meet.  This guy had never run in a track meet before so I introduced him to the other runners I knew and told them about his improbable mission.  He got last by a long way but everyone cheered for this "newcomer" making his debut in his first and last race ever.  

The goal was for the other runners to drag him, and for him to push himself through a 60 second lap.  The result? An astounding 57.4. This from a guy who could not run in practice because of eight knee surgeries.

So to protect my feet, Achilles, and everything else, I'm depending on this approach to get me up to speed without the impact on my body.  Of course I will jump and run twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but these other four days of speed endurance should make a huge difference over the next year.  I'll go 12 minutes on the stairs one day, and 12 minutes on the bike the next.

Nothing makes you feel faster on the runway than being flexible.  I'm more than doubling my daily time commitment to it. I think the combination of these two things will make ah huge differe,  Thanks for stopping by!  Bubba

PS - I'm back to tracking my lifting totals - just under 25,000 lbs. lifted over the past two days.  It's a start.

Megadeth - "Holly Wars" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d4ui9q7eDM

In the Beginning!

After three years of "maintenance" training because of my work schedule, I started yesterday on a plan to get me ready for two key events next year (and the next).  As you will see, they are truly a world away.

On November 1, 2016 I compete in Perth, Australia in the World Masters Athletics Championships (Track & Field).  This is an historic event because these championships are switching from odd years to even years, with 2016 being the first of the evens.

April 21-28, 2017, or less than six months after Perth, I will compete in the World Masters Games (30 sports) in Auckland, New Zealand.  

Both of these events give me an opportunity to have enough time to rise back among the elite of my age group.  That said, I vaulted in only one indoor meet and two outdoor meets, yet managed to finish in the top five in the world in both seasons.

In my opinion I'm in striking distance of being a medalist but I'm not a credible threat to be a winner.  I have one year to change that.

I've relocated back to The Woodlands, Texas and have the exact same training facilities as I used to prepare for the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia, which I won with a championship record. 

I'm excited to be in a position to finally train consistently.  Welcome aboard the ride!  Bubba

New Winery Dogs - "Oblivion" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SoTgZjokLU