Enjoying the Sun

I’m exhausted. What a fun camp that was. It was such an honor to be invited to work along side of such great coaches and athletes. But I’m ready for a rest. In the future I’m going to be better about asking someone who is more able to demonstrate drills and skills while I talk about them, instead of being the crash test dummy myself. My spine is extremely upset with me.

             Since day one I have been wanting to get on the runway to take a few jumps. For starters, the weather is amazing and not taking advantage of it would just be insane but also I wanted to turn up a few big jumps for the campers.  Even at the age I am now, its always fun and inspiring to see someone in action who can perform at a level higher than your own. So today, day 3 of the camp, I decided to jump a bit with the group I’ve been teaching. Technically the session wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. After viewing it on video I am still seeing one major problem, but one of the important changes I have been visualizing was apparent, and that is progress.  I’d have to say that overall the workout was a success in that I was jumping again after almost a month, and I had a great time doing it.

            The pain in my back is not what it was two weeks ago, but it’s not pleasant either. I’m trying to remember a time I’ve jumped without pain, and I can’t seem to drum up a memory less than 2 years old. People continue to ask me, “What will you do when you are done competing as an athlete?” Meaning career wise, and I never have an answer for them. It’s actually a subject that I don’t meditate on. I figure that if I stay positive and focused on what I am doing right now, something good is bound to come up in the future. But recently I have finally found a suitable answer to the question; I’m going to get medical insurance, one way or another. In November, my 31^st birthday marked 8 years I have now lived without medical insurance. Those of you who know me well, and know how frequently I tend to injure myself, know that I’ve been dealt a lot of pain in those 8 long years and will most likely be dealt even more in the 8 to come.

            At the moment I remain in the now. Right now, I’m in sunny southern California, I’m even sun burnt. Before I left the trees for this visit I got a text saying a young up and coming vaulter from Arizona State via Questa College named Derick Hinch needed a ride halfway down I-5 to go and assist with one of the legendary Jan Johnson vault camps. Meeting for the first time, we had lots to talk about and as luck would have it, he informed me that a bunch of like minded vault folk are getting together this Saturday, down in the Huntington beach area, to do some jumping and invited me to tag along. So I plan to join them, enjoy a few more days in the sun, some good company, and maybe even some more small success. The camp director has been gracious enough to extend my stay at the host hotel for a few more days. One of those days I plan to do a light warm up, but mainly hibernate, in hopes that I will summon or manifest some reserve energy stored away in a secret place that my subconscious saved for a special occasion in order to take advantage of these wonderful temperatures one last time.