Sunny Days

This is the California I moved back for. Beautiful sunny days, warmth, and the color green surrounding me. The ability to sit out on the deck to write is a small yet satisfying treat. With nothing but the sound of birds chirping and a light breeze vibrating through the branches and leaves of towering trees, I am bordering a state of mental peace.

For a few days now I have been happily training along side of two friends. Robbert Jan and Bobby arrived sometime late last week and we will be training and competing together at least through May 5^th.

I’m skeptical to speak of our first competition that took place only 48 hours after there arrival. With difficult winds and a heavy amount of travel for each of us (especially Robbert Jan, since he traveled for more than 30 hours) we all failed to clear a bar. This fact alone would seem negative to most, but the three of us left the venue with smiles and full of confidence. The day was a guessing game, and we all guessed wrong. Selecting a proper departure point on the runway to match the given wind (or winds in this case) can prove difficult at times, and so can trusting the decision you made. A good learning day with eye opening positives, and preparation for upcoming competitions, that are far more important to us all.

I am excited about tomorrow; it will be the first day since February that I don’t have to pole vault alone on the runway, but with great friends. Knowing this I’m confident that the day will bring great results, laughs and a confidence to carry into a weekend that can be sprinkled in nerves and anxiety.

We leave town for Mount San Antonio College Thursday morning before the sun rises, in an attempt to evade one of California’s major blemishes, traffic. Better known as Mount SAC, the college hosts one of the largest remaining track meets in the US. Hosting both US as well as International Olympic hopefuls, we go there is search of our own parallel agendas.