Fall training going well

I haven't written in quite a while, so here goes. The national meet in Sacramento was ok for the long jump and hurdles, but the high jump was a bomb again. I'm not sure what happened to my timing in the HJ, but hopefully I'll get it back.
I won the long jump, however, for the third year in a row, so I can't complain about that. I wasn't jumping that great, but my first jump of 6.16 was long enough. The weather was extremely hot, so between that and a rising headwind during the competition, I couldn't go any farther. The hurdles were good, my time of 15.82 got me third and was a good time into a headwind as well. I lost my balance over the first hurdle a little and the other guys were way ahead to the 5th hurdle, but then I got a little turbo boost and almost caught them by the end. If it had been a 150 meter hurdles, I would have won(15 hurdles? that would be hard!!). I really have to work on my start to the second hurdle for next year. If I can get that smooth and fast, I should be able to take a few tenths out of my time.
So now I'm hot and heavy into training for next season, and what's nice is that I feel like I'm picking up where I left off back in July, not starting from scratch like usual due to injuries. I'm running cross country with my daughter's high school team, so my distance fitness base should be very good by the end of the month. If I can build from there without major injury, I should be able to make a real running improvement next season. I've thrown in some hurdling and long jumping and short fast sprints as well, and it's all been pretty easy.
I got a new diagnosis for my shoulder which led to a cortisone shot in a different spot, so maybe I'll get back the full strength there. It barely hurts at all now which is good, but I don't have a lot of confidence that it'll stay like that. At this point my goal is to do the indoor pentathlon at the National Masters meet in Albuquerque in March, but as to whether I'll do another decathlon, I just don't know yet. If my shoulder holds up, it be hard for me not to stick with it and do another one...
In the meantime, here are my goals for the indoor pentathlon in March:
8.70
6.40
11.40
1.78
2:57
The shot and HJ are less, but the others are better. This adds up to WR4367, which is 250 better than last year, and probably optimistic, but very realistic. It is still a long way off, though, so I'll update this estimate closer to the competition.

Solid Score in Joplin

Well, I'm happy with the Joplin decathlon: no AR or WR, but unofficial single-age (46) AR, total score of 7308 using 2010 age factors, (5700 on IAAF tables), which is almost 300 points better than the winner from last year's World meet in Lahti, and the best score in my age group in the world since 2002. Additionally, my hurdle time of 15.60 is the fastest ever world FAT time in a decathlon for age 45+. I'm sure that question will find it's way to Jeopardy sooner or later...("what American masters decathlete...) The weather in Joplin was very hot, in the mid 90's with the heat index over 100. This was hotter than any decathlon I did as a kid, and made it a bit challenging. The heat and favorable winds helped my sprint times, but by the end of the first day I was really feeling it. I must not have drunk enough water, because I had muscles cramping in the 400. For a few strides I thought I might have to stop, but I didn't of course, although the time was pretty slow(57.24). I should have run in the low 55s probably, so that cost me around 80 points right there. If I hadn't cramped up there, I would have been able to run fast enough to get the AR, but I'm not complaining. I achieved my objective of completing a decathlon with all ten events and doing a solid score in the 7000's.
What the future holds for me now, I'm not sure. My performance in at least three of the events is below my potential, so on the one hand I'd like to keep training and improve the vault and javelin, but on the other hand I don't want to have to keep fighting these chronic pains in my groin and shoulder. I'll probably spend 2-3 months this fall just working on these issues, and if I feel like I can improve my score next year in the World Champs in Sacramento, then I may go for it. Or not. Or I may just try to improve my WR in the indoor Pentathlon, because I know I can do that with minimal effect to the shoulder.
For now, I'll train for the Nationals in Sacramento July 22, where I'll LJ, HJ, and hurdle. Let's see if I can triple!

Off to Joplin

I haven't posted in a while, I've just been struggling with the same injury issues, so I've been frustrated and less gung-ho. Yesterday I felt pretty good, tho, so I'm going to jet off to the metropolis of Joplin Missouri for the masters national dec. I bailed on the decathlon in Santa Barbara because of a left groin issue, then a couple weeks later I hurt my right groin again, so my training has been inconsistent. The groin issues are related to trying to do more and more sprinting because I was so slow in that 100m back in April. I don't know where I stand now, but we'll find out this weekend. The speed work would have helped if not for the groin, so it may be a wash. My expectations are lower, but you just never know... I've had some good workout performances over the last month, and my weight is down, and my body is better off than it was last year, so maybe I'll surprise myself. I had a good long jump around 21'(6.40m), and a good hurdle trial run as posted below, and some good high jumps over 6'(1.83). I'm confident in the vault, at least that I won't no-height, and I could get 12'(3.65). I also ran a 4:57 1500m. My PBs from the last two years in workouts and meets add up to 7732. Oh my gosh I was just double checking the ARs and I see they've reinstated Rex Harvey's score from 1991 of 7502, so my job just got tougher. The WR is still listed at Gruzenkin's 7762 from 1997. These scores I'm quoting are all based on the "old" age adjustements which are being replaced this year. It looks like scores are about 80 points lower with the new age adjustments, although I see Bill Murray's Lahti score from last year is now being credited as the WR, but 400 points lower so I don't understand that at all.
My achilles heel now is my shoulder (??!!??) The Impingement Syndrome (the next hollywood thriller?) has returned, so I'll be giving up points in the throws against my potential. All-in-all, I still hope to get the AR, but the WR is probably out of reach. And of course there's still Kip Janvrin out there waiting to crush whatever I do after he turns 45 on July 8. Regardless of the outcome, I'm still happy with things I've been able to do this season after so many years. It's just been such a trip to get into the decathlon again and actually do some performances that resemble that of a real decathlete.

Hurdle Video

110Hurdles for time. Ran about 15.9 hand. Ok considering how much slowed down at the end. If I had kept the same pace I had through 7 hurdles to the end, it would have been 15.5.

Three Weeks til Santa Barbara Decathlon

So less than three weeks now until the SB decathlon. I guess I'll be ready, although as a decathlete you never feel like you're prepared. My workouts have been decent. Yesterday I ran a couple 300s in 39.2 and 40.2, so faster than last week(and last year). I'd like to get both of them down under 40 before the dec, say 38 and 39. A couple hours after that I high jumped for more than an hour and had a couple good attempts at 6-1. I think I can get that 1.85m fresh. Last week I had a hard week on the shoulder with vaulting and throwing, so this week I have to go easy and just do glides and spins with no throwing. The javelin even went better last week, and there's a chance I could throw over 135 which is still terrible, but good enough for an AR. Week before last I long jumped 21-0 in practice, and was very excited to do that. It helped to not have an intermediate mark and just try to run like hell down the runway. I haven't been doing a lot of hurdling because of a left groin problem, but I think I'll be ok there anyway. These are the marks I'm shooting for to get the AR (at least until KJ turns 45).
12.40
20-10 6.35
38-5 11.70
6-0 1.83
55.50
16.20
124-7 38.00
11-9 3.60
131-2 40.00
5.00.00
=7634 on last years tables
that's only 140 under the world record, but again, I'm not going to think about that mark until I'm in the competition and after the discus.

Kip is back...

I had a pretty good workout yesterday, did 400,300,200,100 in 56.5, 41.3, 27, 15. I wanted to run a little faster on the first 400 because I basically ran as fast as I could, but I didn't warm up a lot either. I tightened up bad in the last 100. The 300 actually felt easier, so I probably shouldn't be afraid to run a quick 200 before a 400. Then an hour later I vaulted and ran some hurdles. There's no way I could have done that last year or before. I'm basically healthy and working out harder than ever as a master, which is the good news, but the bad news for my record quest is that Kip Janvrin has come out of retirement. There's no way I can beat him, maybe 2 or 3 events, so even if I get a record in May or June, he'll demolish it after he turns 45 on July 8. That is if he finds a sanctioned dec to do after that date, which shouldn't be too hard if he tries. I'll try my best to go and do whatever dec he does just for the thrill of competing with him, but we'll see how the body holds up through three decathlons in one summer.
The vaulting is going well, I have my confidence up, and I even threw the turbo jav well last week. This Saturday I'm going to run a 100 at Hayward Field before the UofO dual meet with UCLA. They have a couple masters races, so this will be a chance to get some 100 meet practice.

April Is Important

Training has been going pretty well since the Kamloops meet. I actually don't have too much to report - my groin and hip have improved dramatically and I'm able to work out about as hard as my strength and energy will allow. My right knee tightens up a bit overnight, but seems to loosen up during the day. I'll have to watch it, though. I've had good sessions with the vault and jumps, and even the javelin. I've lost a couple more pounds, I've slipped under 180 for the first time in a while and still think I can make it to 175 by June. According to a table I found on the internet, every pound is worth 0.2 in the 400 as I may have mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, so the 6 pounds I've lost since August should be worth 1.2secs, and another 5 would mean another second. Those relationships don't always work out, of course, but I know less weight will mean better perfomance in all the runs and jumps. I'll need every advantage if I'm going to be anywhere near Kip Janvrin who apparently is going to try to do a decathlon and break the record in the 45 age group after his birthday in July. He did a decathlon a couple weeks ago and scored the equivalent of 8500 on the age graded tables, so I don't have any chance of beating him, but I want to be in good enough shape to do a dec with him and not look like an amateur!
I'll try to post some training videos here in the next couple of weeks. We're having some pretty bad weather, so it's hard to get the camera outside, but I think the week after next is supposed to improve, so maybe at that point I can ramp up the outdoors training and post some interval times.
BTW, I think I'll do a couple all-comers meets May 1 and May 22. I'd like to run the 100, because that's really where I need the most meet practice.
Decathlons are still scheduled for May 29 and June 19. Those two meets are the only chances I'll have to get a record before Kip does a dec(if that happens). I might get a record and only hold it for a month or two, but that's better than nothing.