Not everyone is like this, but I sure am....what goes on in my head really affects how my body works.

Last thursday I was supposed to meet one of the other NorCal Masters at my usual workout field. I'm trying to get a group of us together that work out on a regular schedule. It's not easy, but Steve said he'd come up. I was about 15 minutes late getting to the field, there's always some blinkin' thing going on at work.

ANY-way, so I haul my stuff out there and start with the 28 pound WFD. I couldn't do diddly, I was all over the trig, flinging myself this way and that. Why? Because my head was on "where's Steve"...and "I'm late, can he find me?" and I was looking around etc. etc. I finally realized what was going on, stopped and quieted my head. I spent a couple of minutes centering and moving my mind away from all the distractions around me and into the simple motions I was guiding my body through. The result? Balanced throws, reasonable distances, and a happier Alan H.

At the Woodland Games, at my second throw in the 28 WFD, just as I was starting my first turn, Panache called out "don't die!" 'as a joke. That got into my head, and I messed up the first turn and the first half of the second turn. I stopped. James was quite embarrassed at mucking me up, but in fact it turned out to be a blessing. I stopped, put the weight down and stepped out of the trig with the OK of the judge. I centered my mind, quieted all the distractions and halped myself remember the simple movements, the centered balance...all of those things I was there to do.

And then I got back in the trig, and threw a personal best of 40' 3". I finally broke the 40 foot mark.

Yesterday I had kind of a hectic day, and what with moms deteriorating condition, my mind and heart are always in turmoil these days. At 5:45 I went out for a short throwing workout. I started with my best event, 16 lb hammer. I consciously cleared my mind, focused on the simple actions I was going to do. I have a routine that I do that reminds me of keeping my center of gravity within my body core...it almost looks like I'm crossing myself in church. I did that.....thought of where I was going to look, thought of how I was going to go slow and then really SNAP the last turn and follow through on the release.

....and cut loose with an 84 foot hammer throw. I went on to do a dozen throws in the 81 - 84 foot range. If I can do that at Livermore I will obliterate my 78 foot personal best. 81-84 feet in the 16 pound hammer? Nuttin' wrong with that, at all!!

I went over and picked up the 28 pound weight. Again....quiet mind, centered mind, centered body....and most of my throws were right around 40 feet. If I push it, I get off balance and throw 34-36, but if I'm centered and "push it" incrementally, my throws are more like 41 feet.

So much of this is in my head.