More jav work. Going to be working only on jav the next few weeks as I prepare for some meets to try to qualify for regionals. Lots of technique work and minimal weights to refine the skills, hopefully I can do it.
3 7-step
2 9-step
5 dry throws to emphasize block
I was doing certain things right today like getting a solid plant with my left leg, but the block did not seem to happen because I couldn’t get my right hip through and create a stretch through the torso and shoulders. I just need to keep running drills and watching video to refine this and hope that I can get things to ‘click’ at the meet. I tend to throw much better at meets than at practice so I can use the 48m’s I’ve been throwing and hope they will float out there far.
faivala - yeah I’ve been getting elbow pain lately because my mechanics are still causing my elbow to come out to the side instead of over the top. I tend to have to ice and take ibuprofen after practice. But the better my mechanics are the less throwing does any damage to the body, so I should just keep focusing on keeping the javelin going over the top. For now… ice is my best buddy.
Thursday’s practice: Javelin throws!
6 9-step full throws
A really good day of throwing. I had been thinking about my technique all night last night, and found that one of the things keeping me from blocking was that my hips were closed off on landing, so I couldn’t get my right hip around. By altering my approach and opening my hips up in the cross-overs I was finally able to start blocking! All of my throws were 50+ with one around 54m. I’m starting to get comfortable with my throw and things seem to be coming together nicely, (plus I always have thrown better in competition than practice, knock on wood). If I just keep my torso back longer I can create enough stretch to launch one out there, and hopefully qualify for regionals.
The next meet is three weekends away (no ACC school meet), so with this new foundation I can work towards my goal of both qualifying for regionals and taking the #1 spot at my school’s javelin all-time list.
Core workout: 300reps various exercises.
Stretch and eat well.
Some 3 step releases and stand throws
Emphasizing the backwards lean through the throw, but I seem to be dumping to the left and getting through the throw too soon, not being able to impart force on the javelin throughout. Just seems to be some minor technical issues right now keeping me from breaking 60m soon.
Doing some elbow/shoulder strengthening exercises, nothing to wear my arm out, but definitely need to be stronger in that area.
Some short approach work, trying to focus on being patient into the block and turning my right heel out. Was able to replicate fairly good positions but just am not able to put much power into them without dropping the quality down. It still feels weird to stay back on the throw.
3 stand throws
3 3-step throws
2 5-step throws
Weights: 90% of last week
Push jerk
Back squat
Bench
Military Press
Tuesday: Jav work + core
Took longer approaches today, still trying to limit the amount of throws because of my elbow. It gets fairly sore by the end of the throwing so I tend to get my best throws out in the first three.
I am thinking of too many things at once in my technique and can’t seem to get many of them right. Trying to focus on driving my hip causes me to shift my weight too soon, and trying to stay back causes me to not block well. It’s usually a frustrating process in practice now because I feel like things have been progressing so well and should be coming together now, but sometimes I manage to throw low 40m throws when I should be hitting bigger marks.
3 5-step
3 7/9-step
Core: 300 reps
Wednesday: Same as monday
Today things were looking up, threw a few at ~50m but then went downhill from there. Got too hyped up and started to do many things at once. Going to take a day off tomorrow to let my arm and legs relax, do some core work and watch videos (even though I already watch at least an hours worth every day now).
5 7-step
1 9-step
Weights: 90% of last week
Hang snatch
RDL
Pullups
The next meet is May 9th, probably going to be some good competition there, kind of a ‘last chance’ meet for people to qualify for regionals or to improve their times if they are seniors. Hopefully my teammates can end the season well, everyone going to this meet has been putting in extra work on the track so we can only hope it pays off. Myself, I plan on throwing 60m at LEAST. Haha, one more week to make it happen.
Did a lot of technique tweaking today along with 10 or so “full” throws. “Full” meaning that I was taking little steps into a normal 3 step. This went very well, but at the same time I’m concerned that my run-up is the thing keeping me from throwing well. Multiple throws were between 53m-55m without any significant speed into the 3 step. Unless I am able to pull something together by this Saturday I am not sure what my approach will be at the meet.
In any case, my throws were very good today considering 50m is now something regular instead of very difficult to attain. I just hope to really crank one out there any possibly get another meet, or qualify for regionals. My arm is definitely ready to take a break for the summer though!
Here’s some video from our conference meet, I was just able to get some clips this morning. My technique is still improving from here, but most of my throws now look like the first one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ZwlOlmeao
Some rain here yesterday, practiced inside on footwork.
4 full dry throws.
The approaches were very consistent and felt solid. I’ve moved to a 4+7 approach, 4 forward approach and 7 crossover steps. Hopefully switching this up wont be any problem because I’ve been consistent with it in practice over the last week. The meet this weekend will definitely show if this works or not, I feel like some things are definitely coming together and I could get a couple good throws this meet if I can make finals.
One thing that is lacking right now is my speed. I’ve been tapering since re-uping the weights and my muscles feel fresh but some of my running mechanics are still bad and my joints are starting to feel all the javelin runups. It will be nice to take a couple weeks off after this meet and hopefully start back fresh into a big program. Sprint training to come!
I put up some new videos of practice, hopefully this will be something I can consistently do given our camera keeps working.
Looks to me like you could work improving the separation between hip and shoulder as well as your block. In most of the throws in the two previous videos, your arm is moving at the same time as your hip.
Rainy, as a matter of fact I was just starting to work on that today. I did a little practice release really focusing on just driving my right hip and I couldn’t help but throw the javelin further than I had planned. I am really picking up things along the way, but I agree with you that this is something lacking in my throws. I have a really hard time being patient throwing the javelin, I have a lot of history being a baseball pitcher/infielder and tend to throw like that which causes a lot of problems. I am really hopeful that things like this will come together this Saturday at the meet!
Thanks for helping me out though, I really appreciate your comment. I will make a point of remembering this in the future.
I hope today’s meet went well for you. This video is one of my favourites for showing technique with the multiple angle slow-mo views. I caution against trying to achieve the approach speed, blocking power (assuming you want to keep the use of your left leg), or separation of world class throwers right away though :).
Amazing throwers, I love the video. Technique at that level is so amazing to watch, everyone has their own style but they all achieve the same thing at the end, a big stretch and strong block! Its fun to watch the old javelin fly, the throwers nowadays like Thorkildsen and Pitkamaki would be launching the old javelin weighted that way. Plus I love the Radiohead song haha.
The meet was kind of a disappointment. I had been practicing my technique all week and things seemed to be coming together, but I started doing all the same old things again and couldn’t get a block. Threw a warm up at 55m, 2 competition throws at 53, and one at 54m. I believe this will be the last time I throw low 50m’s again, I am done making the same mistakes over again!
In any case, I have one more meet ahead of me. I am going to do lots of dry throws this week and some full throws, my approach is feeling very comfortable but I need to lead with my legs more. I am far too passive with them throughout the throw. I feel that I will be able to get them into position this next weekend and get some big throws. I am excited for another chance to compete.
The biggest change since last year has been the incorporation of much more sprint volume. At first I introduced the horizontal jumps into training and now plan on training for the decathlon. My coaches and I developed a 14day training block for the different events based on what I will be competing in for the next 5 weeks. The hope is to break 6000pts this outdoor, then work heavily on hurdles, pole vault and high jump because I have no experience in those events. Hopefully my body will stay healthy throughout the process and I will be able to continue to compete even after college.
As far as javelin goes, my physical and mental training for the event has improved greatly since last season. I have a much better idea of what I need to do and have the ability to accomplish it. I have only thrown a few times in practice and in my first outdoor competition threw 6 PR’s consecutively (3 prelims, 3 finals). Came in 4th overall, ranked top15 in the East Region. I imagine I will have to hit around 64m to safely make it to regionals this year.
I will start keeping a log of my training again starting tomorrow with hurdles, shot, and long jump training. Here goes the new season!
3x3@95-100%
Back Squat (295)
Squat to Press 3x5 (175)
Bench (235)
Military Press 3x5 (135)
**Legs felt a little slow, some residual fatigue from this past weekend. Ate about 3/4lb of pasta and too many Chips Ahoy and milk. Took a multi-vitamin and early to bed.
Tempo Session today: 2.2km broken down
Medball/Core work
High jump practice
Legs felt very tired today, especially during high jump work. Had shin pain so backed off the jumps.
Tempo was good, working on finding the right pace for tempo work based on 100m time. Plan to start running in the 16-19s range for 100m tempo runs, a little faster than ive been doing. The faster pace definitely feels better; able to keep better posture and a higher speed without exercises between reps.
A big dinner, some vitamins, and lots of sleep in store for tonight. Some TV too, hopefully no homework.
Javelin throws @90% from short approach
Discus work: stands and fulls
2x30m high starts
1x30m blocks
1x350m high start @95%
Weights: 3x3@95-100%
Power Snatch 165
Mid Thigh Pull 375
Bent over row 3x5 155
Upright Row 3x5 125
Glute Hams 3x5 25
Still a little beat down from the week. Used ice bath after practice and felt a lot better. Legs are starting to freshen up. Looking forward to meet this weekend. Doing 5 events: 100m, javelin, shot put, discus, and 4x400m relay. Really interested in seeing where my 400m time is right now, only got into the special endurance work over the past 4 weeks because of shins, but hopefully can come in low 50s vs. mid 50s. Not my strong point but definitely something to work on.
Threw pretty well this weekend. My best throws had technical problems but I felt like my speed was pretty good. I’m going to have to work from a longer approach to throw much further than mid-60s, but I have to clean up my release before that.
Discus went about as expected. I have many issues to deal with but I felt like some things came together. My throws were very flat and I didn’t get much explosion from the power position. I know I can throw over 40m but have to figure some technical things out first with the release.
The races felt very hard this weekend. The 100 I didn’t accelerate to a good enough speed and tried to continue accelerating way too far into the race because I fell behind.
In the 4x4, our squad entered a faster heat and got outpaced in the first leg by 3 or 4 seconds. I didn’t have anyone to race with within 50m so I just raced the way I was told. My time felt like a 57s, but turned out to be low 53 which I feel means I have better times in store if I can loosen up and get a better acceleration.
Overall I was very satisfied with how the meet went. Moved up my PR again. Fell back a few spots in overall NCAA ranking, but confident I can still throw further.
This week we go into maintenance and start freshening up, 3 more meets and then conference.
2x30m High Start
4x30m Blocks (w squat throw)
1x100m High Start (95%)
Medball/Plyos
OHB, THT x2, Hurdle Hops3x5
Weights:
4x2
Back Squat: 255
Squat to Press: 155 (3x5)
Bench: 215
Military Press: 135 (3x5)
Working on hurdle technique and high jump today, plan to compete this weekend in shot put, high jump, long jump and 200m, maybe 4x4 unless next week. No 110 hurdles til probably the week before conference.
I can already tell my legs are starting to freshen up some, the decrease in volume is helping. Technique will be the biggest thing to work on in the coming week to make sure I can put up some good marks at conference in the decathlon. Javelin I am mostly planning for regionals since my mark of 61.22m will most likely land me a spot in the East Regional.