Alan H's 2012-2013 OFF-season log

[Alan H]

I had some time this afternoon, so I got out for an hour and a quarter of throwing.

Heavy hammer, 3 x 10 winds, then 5 throws. Everything 64-67 feet

HWFD, the 56 pounder. Oh, this was just sad. I fell down the first time. Then I managed a half@ss3d two-spin and got 21 feet. Then I tried 2 single-spins and got about 17 feet. Then one more two-spin that went maybe 19 feet. There's a LONG way to go, here, but you gotta start somewhere.

Then 5 LWFD tosses....one at about 46, the rest 49-51. The distance is there, but it doesn't feel like second-nature, dialed-in, like it did at the end of last season.

Then 5 more HH tosses....65, 66 or thereabouts
Then 5 more LWFD tosses .... 48, then the rest right about 50.

Hips were feeling it. "Lifting Strength" and "Throwing Strength" aren't exactly the same thing.

[Alan H]

Deadlift day... I didn't really expect much, since I threw yesterday, but hey...

Donna's combination warmup ... x 8 each side, gets the blood flowing
Sataionary bicycle ... 4 minutes
Deadlifts ... 6 x 135 / 6 x 185 / 2 x 3 x 225 / 3 x 275 / 3 x 315 ! *surprised myself with this* / 1 x 335 / 1 x 355 / 1 x 365 sweet! There's video of the last two pulls, I'll post them tonight.

OHP .... 6 x 135 / 4 x 155 / had to go down to get in the reps 3 x 3 x 145

curlz ... 3 x 6 x 85
windmills ... 3 x 6 x 25
bench rows ...fast but but no "jerk" - 6 x 85 each side, and that was easy, so / 2 x 6 x 90 each side
Pec Deck ... 6 x 175 / 2 x 6 x 190 "on the stack"
lat pull downs .... 3 x 6 x 165 "on the stack"

Stretch cage

[Alan H]

I got over to the gym late-ish today, and then there was a long wait for the racks, so I just did the essentials.

Donna's combination warmup ...x 8 each side
Stationary bicycle ... 4 minutes

Backsquat ... 6 x 135 / 6 x 185 / 2 x 3 x 225 / 3 x 255 / 1 x 275, 1 x 295 / 1 x 305 --> first 300+ squat since last offseasons peak lift. 185 felt ridiculously heavy and 225 started out terrible but got easier as I went along. 275 went up pretty easily so I figured, what the heck. I got a spotter for 305, but there really was never any doubt that it was going up. NICE.

Flat Bench ... volume day... 6 x 135 / 8 x 185 / 2 x 3 x 225 / 3 x 2 x 235

[Alan H]

Oh, body weight the other day was 303.

And in other news, last Friday night was "negotiate the season" night. The big news. Scotland is ON. I'm planning to throw at the Games at Stirling, Inverary, Inverness and Airth. Inverary is a pretty good-paying Games and is also the Scottish National Caber Championships, so I will be throwing with some pretty big Lads.

so the 2013 schedule probably looks like this:

Sonora? Depends....maybe. March 8th, I think. If I go, I'll throw in the B's.
Bakersfield.. March 23rd. Throw in the B class.
Ardenwood ... April 6th - but I'll be playing the AD role, no throwing this year, barring any committee surprises at the meetings over the next couple of months.
Woodland ..Sat April 27th, throw with the B's. Sunday April 28th, drag my worn-out self to throw with my brothers in the Masters 50's.
Costa Mesa, over Memorial Day. Throw in the B class.
Santa Cruz/Watsonville ... Saturday June 15th, B class, and if I've got the ooomph, Masters on Sunday
Leave for Scotland July 11th.. back at the end of the month.

Monterey in August but I will probably judge, if the SHA wants me to. There *might* be an August Games put on by the same group that does Ardenwood, but don't hold your breath.
Pleasanton ... Labor Day Weekend, first weekend in September
Dixon .... Mid- September. If not Dixon, then Fresno.
Ventura ... early October.

11-14 Games, including days when I'd throw both Sat. and Sun.

[Martin Roy]

The big news. Scotland is ON. I'm planning to throw at the Games at Stirling, Inverary, Inverness and Airth. Inverary is a pretty good-paying Games and is also the Scottish National Caber Championships, so I will be throwing with some pretty big Lads.

That is truly big news. You will need to spend a fair amount of time at Shaffer practicing with the Iron Giant - that should get you ready for cabers in the old country.

This will be the trip of a lifetime.

[o1d_dude]

You know the MWC 2014 will be held in Scotland, right?

[Alan H]

You know the MWC 2014 will be held in Scotland, right?

Yes, but two things.... The Games will be the second week in September in Inverness, in 2014. That's the absolute end of the season over there, so if I go, there will be no other Games to throw in, and what Games there will be, will be jammed with USA and Canadian masters over there for the MWC. A quick look at the SHGA calendar shows Braemar at the end of the first week of September, but little old me ain't throwing at Braemar! Blairgowrie & Rattray Highland Games is the Sunday after Braemar. Pitlochry Highland Games are the second weekend, so that would conflict with the MWC, and then Invercharron is the third weekend in September and that's it for the season. Birnam is the last weekend in August, which might *possibly* work out, but I'm only going to be in Scotland for a maximum of 2 1/2 weeks, so not likely.

Also, it's likely to absolutely *dump* rain, that late in the season. On the other hand, the midges should be non-existent!

More importantly, the MWC is really a North American Games, which will take place in Scotland. There will be dozens if not 100+ athletes on the field. That's not what I want to experience. I already got to experience that, in South Carolina. Nope, I want to go over there and throw in a SCOTTISH Games, with the local lads and the Pro's that come in to win the money. I think it'd be fun to win a few pence, too. I looked at the 2007 results from the Airth Games and I actually would have finished top 3 in a couple of events that year. Hey, that's kind of cool. I'll get slaughtered at Inverary but will be throwing where my MacNaughton ancestors threw. I will probably be bottom of the heap, but not embarrass myself at Inverness, and I can't actually find results for Stirling.

All this sandwiched between visits to the Dundreggan restoration forest project, hiking around Braemar, visiting the Aberlour distillery and the Locharron weaving factory, hopefully meeting up with Jock Scot and Redshank, touring the ancestral homelands in Argyll and the Borders, and hiking along Hadrians wall. 17 Days.

[Alan H]

Well, despite some absolutely horrible news around here, today was actually a BIG DAY in the gym. The first offseason weightlifting goal went down, today.

Stationary bicycle .... 4 minutes

Hang Cleans ... blew off the 135's and started bigger.... 6 x 145 / 2 x 4 x 155 / 3 x 175 / 3 x 185!!! ... Rep PR! ... and one of my offseason goals! I'm pretty stoked about that.

Then I moved on to the rest of the workout. My heart wasn't really in it, but I made myself do work... went up 5 pounds in the curls and upright rows.

curlz .... 3 x 6 x 90
upright rows .... 3 x 6 x 90
cross body cable pulls, low ->hi ... 2 x 8 x 50 "on the stack" each side
pec deck ... 3 x 6 x 190

Then 6 practice deadlifts at 185 to try to get in my head how to do them right. I immediately tore off a scab from friday and bled all over my sock. I don't want to get blood on the bar, so I stopped.

[o1d_dude]

Alan. Somewhere in your wardrobe, I'm guessing there is a pair of sweatpants that would love to help you out.

Nice PR on the HCs.

[Alan H]

I have an old pair of field hockey shin guards from my sail racing days...they went in the gym bag last night. However, they're lime green, so I will stand out like a sore thumb! Sweat pants and knee sox would be more subtle.