2011 Goals, training and throwing

**Alan H** · 29th November 10, 09:38 PM

Actually, the year looks like this....assuming everything happens as planned.

January : train for 4 days with Mike and Mindy
February: Stones workshop with Ken Lauther ...maybe some caber, too
March: small group workshop with Ryan Vierra...might go down to So Cal if Francis Brebner does another workshop with the Orange County group.
April: first weekend, tuneup Games at Ardenwood.... then Season Opener @ Woodland in late April
May: Costa Mesa Games
June: Loch Lomond Celtic Society, aka "Watsonville Games"
July: Enumclaw, WA ...North American Championships
August: Monterey Highland Games (and Backpacking)
September: Pleasanton (assuming I get an invitation) if I don't then I'll go to the MWC for sure, and blow off the red ink ... possibly Fresno this year.
October: Santa Cruz Games and Ventura Games if my knees hold out

**Alan H** · 29th November 10, 10:18 PM

I just looked up the 2010 MWC and I would've been about 6th or 7th out of 16 if I'd thrown "typical to good" but not outrageously good in the M50-54 group. That's better than I thought it would have been.

**Detroitpete** · 30th November 10, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Alan H

I just looked up the 2010 MWC and I would've been about 6th or 7th out of 16 if I'd thrown "typical to good" but not outrageously good in the M50-54 group. That's better than I thought it would have been.

Alan--You've got a yeoman's schedule there and I totally understand you wanting to get into Pleasanton. Hope you do and throw far--if not--then I just want to make sure I tell you that there is NOTHING like throwing at the MWC. Truly a mountian top experience. Talk about a brotherhood! Hope that someday soon we're both able to meet at a MWC.

**Alan H** · 30th November 10, 02:34 PM

Oh, I've thrown at Pleasanton twice now, but I've screwed it up both times. 2009 I did a mess of Good Mornings in the gym the week before and I compressed a disk and had no strength in my knees. 2010 my knees were pretty beat up already, and then I went backpacking with the Mrs for our anniversary. Hiking in was two, 7-8 mile days, climbing 1500+ feet with a 60 pound pack on my back. That was the last straw and the last day of hiking out was misery, my knees hurt so much. Six days later I'm at Pleasanton, trying to throw again. I had the worst Games of the season at Pleasanton, in both years.

I am NOT going to do that again. Not this year, probably the only year I will have a ghost of a chance at actually standing on a podium.

However, going to an MWC is definitely on the agenda! I'm bummed that they conflict. I want to meet you and also meet Bill Gray from Georgia.

**o1d_dude** · 1st December 10, 02:04 AM

Let me put it another way.

With the MWC 2011 the same weekend as Pleasanton, where do you think the Masters throwers will be headed?

I'm just saying...

**Alan H** · 1st December 10, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by o1d_dude

Let me put it another way.

With the MWC 2011 the same weekend as Pleasanton, where do you think the Masters throwers will be headed?

I'm just saying...

Oh you have that right, Kit.....Calgary. For sure. Anyone who's not local will probably go to the MWC. For the 50's...Al Stegner will be there, he already to me so. Frank Henry, assuming he recovers from his "incident" in time, will be there. Mike Baab has apparently not gone to MWC's in the past. Myles will be there. Kevin Youngberg will probably be in Calgary. Kel will probably be in Pleasanton, however. Brett Milton joins the 50's this year, I'm not sure where he'll go, or if he'll go. Brett likes to WIN. Bill Leffler has always gone to the MWC's. Don't know about Mark Buchanon and Jeff Baty, but I know that both Pleasanton and Calgary are LONG flights for Jeff.

Which is exactly my point!

If I go to the MWC's I will be 6th or 7th or 8th out of a field of 14-18 guys. The upside to that is that I get to throw with a lot of great guys that I don't see very often. That's a good upside! The downside to that is that I'll get my butt kicked!

When I started this Highland Games stuff, "Going to Pleasanton" was a big deal. I didn't dare ask for an invitation the first two years because I knew I wasn't good enough. Now I AM good enough to be on the field and Pleasanton, and it's an honor. Last year when I was SO frustrated....you remember how cranked off and bummed I was, I'm sure....Frank Henry told me to cheer up, most guys don't even get an invitation to throw here. After thinking that over, I had to agree with him, so I changed my attitude.

This year, if I throw at Pleasanton, I have an outside chance at placing in the top three. Kel will almost certainly win the 50 - 59's but I *could* slip in there at 2nd or 3rd. It's possible. for me to actually finish in the top three at Pleasanton is a Big Deal for me.

I know that there's some logic that says "what does it really mean to finish in the top 3, if you know all the best guys are throwing somewhere else?" I understand that. But then what's the point of my doing well at ANY Games, when I know that Al Stegner and Mike Baab and Frank Henry would all kick my butt?

I figure...I show up, that's the playing field for the day, and I go out and do my stuff. I will probably never have a chance this good of actually getting up on that podium at Pleasanton, and looking out and seeing that crowd cheer. Might as well go for it.

Besides, showing up at Pleasanton supports the Home Team of Mike and Steve and Mark and the gang. I owe 'em.