Today was easy day since my CNS was depleted yesterday. I usually recharge in about an hour after practice(more if I lift after) but I was flatlined all day yesterday. Just a few easy flashes of 5 clubs today. I’ll hit it tomorrow.
I’m really getting into Slaying the Dragon. It’s good for my head and focus. I talked to a legend of juggling today, hereafter referred to as The Man, and he said my rant of a few days ago was stuff he goes through too.
Didn’t have much power today, but, oddly, it came and went?? Maybe I should rest more between work sets . .
My left hand is now a priority. I wasn’t able to do anything with 3/1, a blank, zero. Plus whacked the hell out of my thumb, but I had already done most of everything. Five clubs may be improving, I think that I wasn’t throwing a wide enough pattern, plus the timing’s a little off, not sure how yet.
4 trips was not good but no big, it’s there and will improve. Due to the left hand being nowhere I couldn’t even release 6, so lefty stuff is muy importante. I’ll do a bunch of flashes every day, and once I can do that again I’ll do cascade and columns as well. I’m dismayed at how much I’ve let the left erode.
I wonder if balls or sticks can jump-start my left side? I’ll try it with 4/1 sticks and a bunch of 3/1 as well, it might help.
I found a page with a bunch of mind stuff for swimmers, it’s good to prime the pump with:
http://swimming.about.com/cs/sportspsychology/l/aa_tbl_cont_psy.htm
Eye twitching. I think I’ll veg in front of Joan of Arcadia and go to sleep early.
Felt real sluggish so just an easy one, although I did do some sticks and balls lefty. Weights afterwards, my strength is moving up, but I need more weight work, more often. CNS recovery is an issue, but a little more weights might actually help my work capacity.
Not much else today. I’ll emphasize left hand 3/1, then releases with 6 above everything else. It’s getting down to crunch time.
Eye still twitching some. A mostly easy one today since curls yesterday, but I did do some good stuff w/ 5 clubs and lefty 3/1 w/ sticks and balls. Realized I should try wrist weights for 4 and see if it helps for 6.
5 clubs was interesting, I have about three things going wrong but if I try to monitor and correct I’m way too slow to actually do it! I think I was throwing too narrow, tried opening it a little and it worked well.
My negative tendencies seem to be increasing too, or maybe I just notice more – the harder I work, the more I want to go party. I just have to remind myself to be a Shaolin Monk till the numbers comp, then I can do whatever 
Had an el sucko practice and was reeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllly negative, till I realized that I am in fact in control of 95% of what constitutes a good practice, or at least the readiness for one, and took a look at what the frell I’ve been doing and it ain’t what I want to do: eat right, sleep early and well, wake up rested, with full energy and presentness(don’t know a word for what I mean here). I didn’t do any of the above yesterday, thus was sluggish and clumsy today. Live right, train right(loop that and repeat 10,000 times).
The ugly details: 4 trips went well for one trial only, 5 clubs felt maybeish till I smacked my hand, had a meltdown, and stopped for the day.
Sticks were nowhere, zero. Righty 3/1 felt slow and weak. Rest well and hit it right tomorrow, dammit.
Last couple were not good, I’m determined to fix the problem(s). Mostly doing right away from the gym, as my practice habits are pretty much OK. Lousy one today due to being up early to go to the dentist, and I should have been asleep arns ago. I’m powering down now, and will hit it hard tomorrow.
Note to anyone interested: Rock Star energy drink tastes NASTY. Won’t get it again.
After I thought I was out of energy, I got a second wind, sort of, where I suddenly had more power on my throws. Righty 3/1 feels ready for some breakthough, but my left still licks balls. I’m going to start launching 6 even though the left isn’t “ready” since I have to be doing it damn soon and I don’t have time to wait for the lagging hand. I’ll try this for a week and see how it goes. 5 clubs went better with a lower/wider pattern, as theorized. I just need to adjust to the speed of the pattern.
I just realized that I shouldn’t spend too much energy envelope on 5 clubs since 6 is what’s important. If I do 6, no one will care how raggedy my 5 is, and if I don’t do 6, I won’t care that much about 5 anyway. So, practice 5 only to the extent that it will help 6.
well done, keep up the good work and stay positive 
Didn’t get to the gym early so had to practice outside, which sucked, too windy :mad:
Did a light one, lifted after, chilling to WPT now . . .will go to gym tomorrow and bust it out . . .
Don’t know what to think about today’s practice . .
Actually I do: I did a good job today, but haven’t been doing right at all so I’m way below where I ought to be. I dug in and “saved” a kind of crappy one today, ending with some good signs of progress, but I’m sick of looking for signs! I want some damn progress!
I ordered some new balls, so ball stuff is back in play. My major issue right now is away from the gym: training must improve immediately.
I’ve decided to use supps before every practice, except scheduled easy days once a week. I’ve noticed that I can count on the energy to get some good work in at least, and maybe a great one, unless I overdo the caffeine like I did a few weeks ago :eek:
I’m also going to either lug my boombox or get a Walkman and pump up the volume. The Kid recommends this, I’ll try it.
There’s no doubt that I practice better a little amped, so I’ll continue this. Kroger has cans of -blanking on the name – for a buck each so I’ll buy a case tomorrow. Contrary to what I have long thought, I do better what I’m not thinking about it, so I’ll definitely bring some tunes to practice from now on. I was amazed to see how a change in mindset is basically the only thing that limits me in certain things(maybe in more than I think, in fact definitely).
The left arm is doing way better. Contrast showers are helping, as is a better warmup than I’d been doing. Now it’s time to implement every improvement, since the clock is majorly ticking. The third week in July is next week.
My original intent for starting this was to share some stuff I’ve found that might be of value to sprinters. Looking back, I realize that I haven’t said anything of value to anyone, here or in the main forums. I don’t have results, and I haven’t put anything out there worth reading. Plus, reading James Smith and Christian T. ,among others, have made me realize that I should never again open my mouth on any training topic.
I thought of using this journal as a way to keep myself on track, but it doesn’t seem to be doing that either. Thus, I may be deleting this and not posting again. I’ll read this when I wake up(hopefully going to sleep now) and if I still feel this way I’ll pull the plug. Thanks to Charlie and the gang for providing such a valuable resource.
I started to delete all my entries in the journal, but it’s too much bother. I’ll just not sign in again and let it go. Thanks to everyone who make this a great forum,I just don’t belong here.
Okay, a few months ago I was so negged by my lack of progress that I stopped keeping my journal, although still practicing. Then a few weeks later, I quit juggling entirely, even stopped performing(which cost me much money, but I was soooooooosick of juggling and my suckitude).
Now it is clear to me that I must continue. I may well throw them down and say the hell with it after I do 6 clubs, but I will do it, not go out like a bitch. Step 1 is to figure a way to train since I need a new set of clubs, but I’ll do GPP for the next few weeks and hit it.
In other news, lifting is going okay, not sure if I’ll include that. Probably will since that may be of some interest to other ppl.
Oh, yeah: one factor in my horrible attitude was/is poor sleep. I’m fixing that right away.
It seems the older the athlete, the more work is required. Whether my problem is GPP(no doubt) or whether I’m also lacking other things, it’s clear that I’m lagging. I have wondered whether I have the capacity to achieve my goals. I’m not going to worry about that for the next few weeks while I build up GPP and overall vitality.
Today was squat day, but had to stop due to tweaking my knee using a new squat form. I’m going back to my “old” one, right away, and will think twice about trying stuff like that again. My body knows what it likes, whether experts agree or not.
Hasn’t been anything too exciting to report, just doing GPP juggling-wise and semi-rehab lifting wise. I’m doing leg curls – don’t kill me, it’s to fix my knee – and extensions(ditto) to get my knee feeling right again.
I’ve been thinking about this, and it makes sense for me to focus on getting my commercial web site up and running, which can make me mucho dinero, than to eat up energy worrying about juggling. I’ll still do juggling GPP, as well as continuing to lift, but the site has to take priority above all else, since it will enable me to do the rest once I get the $$$ rolling in.
So I’ll be lifting, biking, and yes juggling, but won’t post anything here except lifting highlights till I get the time.
I got away from training a little bit and I see why so many long time lifters are so psychotic about not missing w/os. I find myself just disintegrating when I don’t train. I’m back in the saddle, and will stay there, dammit.
I’ve had no enthusuasm for juggling since:
a) I’m kind of burned out, and
I had an email exchange w/ The Man and he basically said (in a nice way) he wasn’t gonna waste any time teaching me jack till I put something up there. So it’s kind of a devil’s bargain: once I do six clubs, I’ll be ready to quit, and I can use any help to get there, especially from a WR holder, but he won’t till I get there, grrr. Maybe if I show him a vid. of me getting close he’ll relent and train me.
Haven’t been posting due to, A, being aggravated about having a post deleted for no reason really, just someone didn’t like it, and 2, not having results to speak of since hitting a new bench PR(215lb x 3), yawn. Both throwing and lifting have been tough to get up for, but I have to lift or I become Homer Simpson, physically and mentally, and the throwing, well, as I say in my last journal entry, once I do 6 clubs I’m done, basically. That has eluded me for waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy too long, but it’s time I came to grips with the fact that you can’t have Luke Skywalker skillz if you live like Jabba the Hutt.
I’ve also been mad stressed over money, in that
there’s a bunch of stuff I want to do that I don’t yet have the jack for, dammit. I still haven’t launched the commercial web site, but it’s getting closer. I keep agonizing over decisions, large and small, and doing 10 parts worrying for 1 part doing.
A guy who does a lot of shows came to town, performing at the State fair, and he told me that The Kid has been putting the mouth on me in a major way. I may go out there tonight to where he’s performing and ask him what’s up. OTOH, he’s basically a robot for his father, so so I could just write him off, but still, it would be good to see him try to BS his way out of it.
Squats today. Have been wiggy about them since tweaking my knee trying a new stance, but it seems fine and I’ll just make sure to be in a good groove. I will be extra careful changing form from now on.
A little learning is a dangerous thing,
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring,
there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again.
– Alexander Pope
Started re-reading my copy of Speed Trap today, same day that I ordered new clubs. So The Quest For Six Clubs continues. Have just been doing SPP, time to get 6 in the air.
Squats have felt fine so the goal for this month is to PR in the three power lifts. I know I won’t make it in DL, but if I push I’ll get closer than I currently am.
Talked w/ The Man today, and he emphasized the importance of a really good warmup. He used the word superheated to describe how he needs to be for WR training. Thusly, my new warmup will be to do what turns out to be too much and dial it back from there, since what seems to be “enough” often hasn’t been.
Nothing too exciting w/ weights except that I’m adding push presses to the mix. We’ll see how that goes.
Squats and bench today. Ripped my sweats :mad:, then tweaked my knee again since my sweats kept me from following the right path. :mad: :mad:
The good news is that, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise it looks like I’ll be hitting PRs in the SQ in the next few weeks. Once I get something else to wear, that is :rolleyes: