Rambles in my head

[Alan H]

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.

[Yaish]

I'm right with you there Alan. One of my best throwing days came last year in Tucson, after driving all night with just a couple hours sleep to get there. My mind was a little out of it, but it forced me to stop and think about everything I was doing.

I was having an ok day, throwing some good stones when my hernia started acting up. I have an umbilical hernia, so every once in a while it will feel like my insides are trying to come out through my belly button. I'm ok, but I have to be careful how I hold my torso and bend over, etc...

I had my best hammer throws ever that day, still unmatched. I was concentrating on holding my form correctly and not aggravating my hernia any so I was totally focused on doing the winds correctly and not trying to force it.

Now in Phoenix earlier this year I had the opposite experience. I drove in that morning, again no sleep but this time I was running late. I signed in and got on the field just as my turn to throw was coming up. I literally ran onto the field, changing into the game shirt and stepped up to the caber. I totally flubbed my first two attempts because I was so focused on getting caught up.
I stopped before my third attempt, calmed myself, and then had an 11:30 turn.

Just had to get my head in the game.

[Coinneach]

Sometimes it's not anything physical either. Every now and then I finally figure out that part of my frustrating, aggravating, messed up day is all in my head and I always go back to basics: what is the most constructive thing I can do right now? It centers me, calms me, and suddenly I'm productive again, even cheerful with my colleagues. It makes a difference.

[Clockwork John]

It seems to me that your thoughts on athletics here make a great analogy for life... When we're unfocused, uncentered, and off balance, things just go wrong. Everything goes to crap. But when we slow down, collect our thoughts, and begin again, things usually improve. I know that for me, sometimes that's all it takes to salvage a bad day.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

My day started with a Chow Chow euthanasia gone wrong. How do you recover from that? Center, focus, concentrate on what's right for each situation. The day went fine.

Be well,

[Clockwork John]

I'm not sure I want to know... but how excatly does euthanasia "go wrong?"

[Alan H]

My day started with a Chow Chow euthanasia gone wrong. How do you recover from that? Center, focus, concentrate on what's right for each situation. The day went fine.

Be well,

That is a frightening thought.... Well, the first half of your post, anyway.