Updates

It's been around a week since I last posted on here so I think that it is time to update.  As I have more time I will update more often.  It is pretty time consuming to train, compete, and work full time.  Today is Monday so I will be traveling back home to Chicago for 2 nights before coming back to Carbondale for the next few weeks.  I get off work at 12:30PM today (yes I am working right now) and will go to practice as soon as I get off and then hitting the road for the lovely 4hr drive back home.

It feels good being back in Carbondale so often.  When I was in college I didn't appreciate the small town environment as much as I do now.  It is the perfect place to train because there aren't distractions like there are in a big city where all of my friends and family are, although I do miss them at times.  I would like to make one note and that is "Go Giants!".  Although I am a Bears fan at heart, the Giants are my 2nd favorite team and I am glad they won.

Indoor season is slowly coming to an end now.  In less than 3 weeks, my training partner Gwen Berry and I will be traveling to New Mexico for USA Indoor Nationals.  I threw 24.52m I think was the mark, this past weekend here at SIU.  I am glad I got over 80 again, but I feel like I could have thrown farther.  My lower back has been sore since Wednesday when my SI slipped out during practice.  Coach and I decided to err on the side of rest that week, so I didn't throw or lift on Thursday like I usually do.  Friday morning I was still a little sore, but nowhere near as bad as Wednesday and Thursday so I decided to go ahead and throw.  Usually on Thursdays I do an explosive light lifting workout which gives me a little more, 'snap', as I like to call it on meet day.  Since I skipped it this week I did not feel anywhere near as explosive as I usually do on meet day although I felt powerful.  Technically, I threw pretty badly and still managed to throw it over 80.  I was allowing the low point on the ball to drop too low and bending over on my entry.  The fact that I had probably my worst week of practice in over a month and threw over 80 gives me a little more confidence going into Nationals when my body will be peaking.  I have a goal distance that I would like to throw, but I won't say what it was until after I compete at USAs.

I am looking forward to outdoor since that is when things really start to count.  I have gotten better technically and at feeling the ball since I started training again.  I have put more focus into my footwork than I have done in other years.  I have always had a habit of picking up my feet and skipping across the ring on turns 2 and 3 but I have cleaned  that up a lot.  It is nowhere near perfect, but better.  With outdoor season, also comes time for me to drop weight.  I am very motivated to get leaner and more explosive for outdoor season.  I am confident that I can lose a decent amount of weight while still building my strength levels.  I will admit it will be hard because I like to eat, but it is something that I need to do.

Well, I think that is all for today.  I will try to update again soon