Today was not what I was hoping for, it didn't go well in any respect. I was hoping to run at 100% speed to prove that I could compete right now in theory but apparently I wouldn't be able to. I did three runways, and I may have hit 95% on the last one but it was very painful especially when I tried I tried a little pop-up on the end. I guess in retrospect, last Tuesday I couldn't go past 80% so maybe there is hope yet.
Weights didn't go well either, but in all fairness I did five sets today instead of the usual four. It was set number five that was giving me trouble. I had to 3/4 squat my last rep on my fourth set of squats and I only got four reps on my last set. I was not pleases. I have also only gotten 5-6 hours of sleep the last three nights. My body weight is also down... Quite a bit when I think about it, I'm 162.2lb's and for a little while in April I was over 170lb's. Tomorrow I don't work so I'm planning on getting ten. Next week I go back down to 3 sets so hopefully that will be a tell of how my strength really is.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Long Warm-up
3 runways
Weights--
Squats 3x5@300lb's, 1x5@305.5lb's (cheated last rep), 1x5@300lb's (didn't get last rep)
Leg curls--
Right leg:5x5@157lb's (three reps on last set)
Left leg: 1x5@45lb's, 1x5@67lb's, 3x@182lb's
Pull-up's 5x5@body weight+20lb's (~182lb's, three reps then went to body weight on last set)

Not a great day...

Jump squats and deadlifts without any pain? That can only be a good sign! Last week I couldn't do jump squats at all and I had to drop 50lb's of my deadlifts. When I try to contract my hamstring however, like in a curling motion, I can still feel the strain. I want to do a set of runways tomorrow at full speed to prepare for the June 11 meet.
I decided to take today's core circuit onto Wednesday's workout.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
Jump-squats 5x2@135lb's 5x2@146lb's
Deadlifts 3x5@269lb's, 1x5@180lb's

   Today could have gone worst but it also could have gone better. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, only like six hours but I still jumped fairly well. I jumped 12.47m off of eight steps which is about 3 centimeters off my pb. My hamstring was pretty sore, I noticed during my warm-up that I couldn't come even close to top-speed while doing accelerations. When I was jumping I was only bringing probably 75% speed to the board (of what a my max off of eight strides would have been) to protect my hamstring. If I was completely healthy I think I could have gotten close to 12.80m. I also couldn't pull through during the landing and ended up almost just sinking into the sand.
   Technically I was over hopping and wasn't in control of the whole jump, I felt like my arm patterns are becoming more efficient though.


TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3 standing triple jumps
3 Five step triple jumps
6 Eight step triple jumps

Friday May 27 2011

Today was light, I could definitely feel the effect from last nights weights. Every muscle in my body was aching but in a good way. I ended up doing a fairly regular core workout. My hamstrings are both still pretty stiff, I can only imagine how much scar tissue there must be.

Saturday May 28 2011

Like every Saturday, today was an off-day. I physically feel pretty good besides a little fatigue from a lack of sleep. I hope my hamstrings are pretty much healed by tomorrow, I really want to jump and not hold back.
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Today was actually a really good workout. Like every Thursday we started off with light plyos (depth jumps, bounds, hops) then I did a few short approach jumps. I didn't have any pain really, but it's clear my hamstring still isn't 100%. When I move it in a curling motion I still feel a lot of tension. Also I haven't been able to reach top end speed yet or at least maintain it. That's the only thing that is worrying me right now, my speed on the runway. I'm sure it will be healed by the next competition (June 11) but it's still in the back of my mind.
Weights went well today too, I set a hang-clean pb and brought Jerks back for the first time since like February. I had no pain at all doing weights.
I'm also a little worried about my range of motion, I've always been naturally flexible (I can even do the splits) but now that my hamstrings are injured I sense a lot of scar tissue may form.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
Depth jumps 3x8
Bounds 5x5 (five step run-in)
Hops 3x5 (both sides)
Single legged depth jumps 1x5 (both sides)
Single-legged depth jumps+step 1x5 (both sides)
Depth jumps+standing long jump 1x5
3 Standing triple jump
6 Three-step triple jump
2 Five-step triple jump
Weights--
Hang-cleans 2x5@195lb's, 2x5@200lb's
Hang Jerks 4x3@155lb's
Straight-legged deadlifts 4x5@145.5lb's

Today's speed endurance workout got drastically reduced, instead of doing 2x3x200m I did 2x3x100m. My hamstring felt good, I only ran at 75% but I didn't really feel any pain, the pain I did feel was from squats yesterday, I'm surprised how sore they are from going two weeks without doing them. Hopefully I will be able to do a few short approach jumps in practice tomorrow.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
2x3x100m

Well, today went about as well as it could have. I still can't run at 100% but I came fairly close, maybe around 85%? I essentially kept accelerating until the point I felt it even a little bit then shut it down.
I didn't run in spikes--not because I didn't think I could but I didn't want to aggravate any shin splints doing sub-maximal speed work, there wouldn't be any point.
Surprisingly I could squat without any pain, it still felt pretty risky but I went almost up to what I usually do but still held back a little. To be honest 295lb might have been all I could do today anyway even if I was healthy, I hate going two weeks in a row without squating, it's probably a mental thing but the weight always seems to decline.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3x50m@65%
3x35.@75-85%
Weights--
Squats 4x5@295lb's
*Leg curls 1x5@135lb's, 3x5@157lb's
Incline Dumbbell Press 4x5@60lb's
Pull-up"s 4x5@body weight+20lb's

*Right side only

There's nothing more frustrating than being well-rested, motivated and injured. I went to the track today in hopes of doing yesterday's workout but I wasn't really able to do much of anything. I can only sprint at about 70% speed, anything above that hurts. I wasn't able to jump at max strength either, I felt a strong, sharp pain when I tried. I ended up doing five step jumps at about 60%-70% effort just for the plyometric benefit. They actually felt good technically but of course they were about two meters shorter than usual...
   Weights weren't any better, I dropped a significant amount of weight off the deadlifts but they didn't feel "good", jump-squats weren't much better.
   Also when I was stretching after weights I felt a pop in my right (non-injured) hamstring right where it joins to the ischial tuberosity... I don't think it's serious but it is still a little sore when I stretch it.
 

TODAY'S WORKOUT

warm-up
3 Standing long jump @70%
3 Standing triple jump @70%
3 Three step triple jump @70%
6 Five step hops @70%
4 Five step triple jump @70%
Weights--
Deadlifts 3x5@225lb's
Jump squats 4x2@135lb's
Ab circuit 4x6x10
5 med-ball back throws
5 med-ball front throws

   Saturday May 21 2011

I took today off completely but I don't seem to have been making the progress hamstring-wise that I have been hoping for. It may be Tuesday before I can run again... But I'm going to try tomorrow.

   Sunday May 22 2011

Definitely the worst workout of my life, I don't think it can be called that. I showed up to practice completely nauseated and couldn't even move. Unfortunately I'm going to have to do everything I was going to today tomorrow as well as tomorrow's workout. I don't think my hamstring would have been in any shape to jump on anyway so we'll see how it is tomorrow.

Today was nothing special, I started off by jogging a couple laps in the Dalplex then I tried some A skip to see how my hamstring was feeling. It was better then yesterday, I may even have been able to do tempo runs on it. I was getting the occasional shot of pain but not nearly as frequently or strong as yesterday. I'm hoping tomorrow's day off will get it to the point where I can jump on it.
I also did a medium length ab circuit, all the usual, leg raises, pull-downs, and I feel like the rest may not have names...
I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow or at least getting 8-9 hours. The last two nights were pretty rough, a very broken up seven hours which was probably more like four and 6 hours last night. I feel like it's now starting to catch up to me.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Light jog ~600m
Ab circuit 4x6x10

Wednesday May 18 2011

I took today completely off due to my sore hamstring, it feels better than it did last night but I still get a shooting pain when I move it the wrong way. I did think it's too serious luckily and should only be a couple days.

Thursday May 19 2011

My hamstring was once again a little better than it was yesterday but I still wasn't able to run and could barely jump. Funny enough I was able to do weights and bounds. I'm hoping that it is pretty well healed by tomorrow.
I cut off some weight on today's leg weights to protect my hamstring I also did a low plyo volume.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3x8 depth jumps
6x5 bounds
Cool down
Weights--
Hang Cleans--1x5@155lb's, 2x5@185lb's, 1x5@195lb's
Staight-legged deadlifts 4x5@135lb's
Incline dumbbell press 4x5@55lb's
Pull up's 4x5@body weight+15lb's (~178lb's)

Monday May 16 2011

Today was supposed to just be an ab circuit but I couldn't help but do some mechanical stuff, nothing too strenuous--five running steps and a hop.

TODAY'S WORKOUT
Warm-up
4x6x10 ab circuit
6 five step hops

Tuesday May 17 2011

I had a little bit of a scare today, my hamstring was sore for most of practice then on the last run it completely gave out and I felt it pop. My initial reaction was "oh no, this is going to take weeks to heal" but after icing a bit  it doesn't seem as bad as I originally thought, more of a really bad cramp then anything. I think poor running mechanics are likely to blame.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3x35m (4.53s)
2x60m (7.53s)
1x80m (10.03s)
1x100m (12.35s, hamstring gave out near the end)
 

   My legs feel pretty rubbery right now, after competing yesterday and jump practice today. I think I did eight, eight step triple jump's. Each one seemed to get better and I ended up jumping just a tad under 12.50m. I feel like I'm starting to get a stronger comprehension of how it should feel technically. I can't wait to jump next Sunday fresh and with Saturday taken completely off.
   The funniest thing happened today during practice. There was a track meet put on for younger kids, there must have been at least 500, and a couple of them seemed to be interested in what I was doing. It was kind of a cool feeling being looked up to like that for a change, I even think I taught a thing or two about long jump to a couple of them--perhaps they will someday become the next generation of jumpers in Nova Scotia

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
Standing long jump x3
Standing triple jump x3
Eight step triple jump x8
Weights--
Jump Squats 8x2@135lb's
Deadlifts 2x5@245lb's, 1x5@255lb's

Well definitely not the performance I was looking for 6.27m but I think there is potential. I was literally leaving 30cm in the sand, I was going straight from take-off position to landing phase and left a full 30cm in the sand on every jump, I should have been jumping 6.60m. I guess the conditions are sub-par, it's the first meet of the season, eight degrees outside and I haven't worked on long jump in almost a year.
My take-off was atrocious, I felt like a kid in grade 8 running and jumping with absolutely no technique.
I definitely think I have the potential to break 6.80m this summer when I fix things up. One meet done, 7-8 left to go. It's going to be a good summer.


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I'm at the facility, chilling next to the indoor track to stay warm. It's definitely not warm up but it's not as cold as I feared it would be, The Weather Network says it's ten degrees right now.
I'm physically feeling as good as I could have asked for today of course shin-splints are pending and my right ankle feels like it will soon tear in half.
I'm planning on starting my warm-up at 2:15, one hour in advance. It's going to be short but dynamic to stay warm in sub-par conditions. At least it doesn't seem to windy but it may or may not rain.

Warm-up:
Jog 400m
Half height skipping 3x10m
3x60m (light)
A skip 1/1/1x10m
B skip 1/1/1x10m
Doubles 1 each side 10m
Fast leg 1 each side 20m
Ankle hops 2/2/3
3x60m
Runways (3 depending on how they are)
1-2 five step jumps depending on how they feel shin-wise

Goals: 1. Set a pb
2. Jump 6.60
3. Jump 6.75
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Thursday May 12 2011


Today was a VERY light workout, minimal plyos and cleans in the gym afterwards. There is nothing really to say about it, it is what it is.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3x6 depth jumps
3x5 bounds
3x3 pop ups
2x5 take offs
5 medball back throws
5 medball front throws
Weights--
Hang cleans 3x5@185lb's

Friday May 13 2011


I took today completely off (aside from working a nine hour shift). I'm feeling good overall but am a little nervous. I'm most nervous about the shin splint on the left side and my sore right ankle. Neither are very bad right now but they may be bad enough to hinder my performance (I hope not). The only other worry is my runway, I'm hoping 30.50m still stands true.
   I'm completely clueless to how I'll long jump, the last time I actually did a serious long jump was in McGill on January 30th. My opener felt terrible and was 6.17m I think then the next to that felt MUCH better were both faults but felt in pb range. I am much stronger and faster than I was then so here's hoping for a big one!

   Today was essentially just a competition warm-up followed by three sixties, I feel a little sore from yesterday's squats (and by sore I mean a barely noticeable stiffness). I'm a little worried that the weather won't hold up this weekend, it's supposed to be about seven degrees and raining. It has rained ever day for the past three weeks and it doesn't look like that cycle is going to end anytime soon.
 
Today's Workout

Warm-up
3x60m@80 percent
Cool down

This definitely wasn't the worst workout of all time, it was short but in a good way. We started off with speed, the same as any Tuesday but because of torrential rain the volume of work was kept to a minimum. I felt fairly quick today relative to usual, possible because I took yesterday almost completely off, rare for a Monday.
   Weights went as well as they could have, I went up to 305.5lb's on the squat for five reps.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
1x10m
2x20m
3x30m
Weights--
Squats 2x5@300lb's, 1x5@305.5lb's
Leg curls 3x5@153lb's
Pull-ups 3x5@body weight+10lb's
Incline dumbbell press 3x5@50lb's

Sunday May 8 2011

This has been one of the worst jumping workouts of the season. I guess training two days in a row combined with spending so much time on my feet for my job took more energy out of me than I thought. Also the ULTIMATE binge diet on Saturday probably didn't help either but I'll get to that in a second.
The first sign that it wasn't going to be a good day was during my warm-up I noticed that my mobility seemed tighter than usual, especially around my hips, just a general stiffness. Then at the end of my warm-up I did three or four standing triple jumps and they were all about 60-70cm less than my pb.
When it came time to actually jump the five steppers over mini hurdles didn't feel too bad and they were even in the mid eleven range of the 9m board. The eight step jumps were terrible, my body was just shutting down and each one became progressively less technically proficient. Two bad workouts in one week, hopefully it's not a tell about how I'll jump this weekend!
So I had a couple cheat days that I didn't use so I pretty much put them all together on one day. I didn't count calories that I day but if I had to guess it would be in the 8000+ range... I haven't broke 2900 since then but I think that I have a feasible policy for cheat days for now on using a credit allowance system.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3 Standing triple jumps
5 Five step triple jumps (over 4 inch hurdles) (~11.40m)
8 Seven step triple jump's (over 4 inch hurdles)
Cool-down
Weights--
Deadlifts 1x5@248lb's, 1x5@270lb's, 2x5@280lb's

Monday May 9 2011

Today was just a quick ab circuit, later I'll probably do some hip mobility. Overall a very light day.

267m jog
Ab circuit 3x6x10
Ab pull downs 3x15@170lb's

After taking yesterday off I decided to spend today going to my old track club and training there. I ended up doing some light accelerations and a little bit on long jumping. My ankle is sore but it's not my take off foot so it shouldn't matter too much when I open the season in Moncton next Saturday.
I feel like I'm so much stronger and faster then I was last summer that a personal best is almost inedible but my ankle worries me and so does my runway. The last thing I want to do is fault six!

Today's Runway

1200m jog
Med-ball circuit (~50 throws)
5x50m@70%
3xStanding long jump
3xThree step long jump
3xFive step long jump (from boxes)

This workout was probably in my worst five of all time. When I arrived at the track it was starting to drain, but mostly a deep fog. The weather held up for my warm-up but when I went to start the plyo workout it poured. Like monsoon type of poured. I don't think I have ever been so wet and I was doing standing triple and pop-up's into the sand and got covered. If that wasn't bad enough I had to wait 20 minutes for the bus covered in sand and water. THEN I head to sit down freezing cold for 45 minutes until I got to the gym.
When I started doing cleans the straps that were in my bag were wet and I couldn't get a grip. I started at 195lb's, the usual, and couldn't get a single rep finished. It took three tries at 185lb before I got in a full set of five--even then they were probably the most technically inefficient set of my life. Eventually I got four sets finished...
Just one of those workouts that needs to be shook off, I guess the fact that I had six hours of sleep and worked for eight hours this morning didn't help either. Oh well.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
Two foot ankle hops 2x25m
Ankle hops 2x25 (each side)
Depth jumps 3x8
Bounds 4x5 (into pit)
Standing triple jump 5x5 (~8.40, felt terrible and raining hard)
5 Seven step pop-up's
3 Seven step pop-up's+landing
5 nine step pop-up's
1 nine step pop-up+landing
Weights--
Hang Cleans 4x5@185lb's (worst they have ever felt)
¤Straight-legged deadlifts 4x5+162.5lb's

¤I switched the days of the week I do straight-legged deadlifts and regular deadlifts for more efficient recovery.

Today went fairly well, the time trials were slow, as I knew they were going to be. It's impossible to expect to have back to back jump workouts and then come back and set a 30m pb the next day. Hopefully next week will bring about some decent times. The fact that it was seven degrees Celsius (45 Fahrenheit) and raining didn't help either.
Weights today went better then expected, the weight lifting shoes I ordered from Rogue Fitness arrived, finally no more lifting in running shoes! I was amazed at how easily I was able to get down without rotating forward. I put on 300.5lb's for the last two sets at five reps, which is half a pound over my personal best at that number of reps. I definitely could have gone higher, maybe even three plates (but I'm sure if I did my technique would have gone by the waste side).
A happy accident was there was a bench behind the squat rack that, on my last set, I noticed I was grazing which was a good motivated, it showed me that I was getting full depth.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
3x10m (1.70s HT)
3x20m (2.98s HT)
3x30m (4.16s HT)
Flying 3x30m (3.66s HT)
Weights--
Squats 2x5@295lb's, 2x5@300.5lb's
Hamstring curls 4x5@156lb's
¤Pull-up's 4x5@body weight+15lb's
»Incline dumbbell press 4x5@50lb's

¤Last set: 3 reps+2 reps@body weight

»Last set: failed after three reps

I know I shouldn't be jumping two days in a row but it was too tempting. I'm kind of glad I did and kind of sorry too. I pb'd in standing tj, a pretty big pb too (9.07m) and I had another jump that looked to be about 9.00m but the measuring tape was pulled up 10cm and I didn't notice until after. I also jumped in for a couple five and eight step jumps but I must have been starting to get tired by that point because my technique really started to break down, my foot was way too far in front of my center of mass off the step and I had no third phase.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
5 Standing triple jump (9.07m)
5 five step triple jump's (~11.80m)
3 eight step triple jump's (11.90m, terrible form, had nothing left)

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Friday April 29 2011

Today was pretty relaxed, just a quick core circuit and some upper body work that I was supposed to finish on Thursday. My ankle is really sore so hopefully having today and tomorrow off my feet will help it.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

4x6x10 Ab circuit
Dumbbell bench press 4x5@50lb's
Chin up's 4x5@body weight+15lb's (~183lb's)

Saturday April 30 2011

My chest is surprisingly sore from the bench press yesterday, I guess because it has been so long since I have done it. My abs are a little sore too, but in a good way--just enough to remind me that I did do a circuit yesterday. My ankle is also very sore.

TODAY'S WORKOUT
Off day

Sunday May 1 2011

Unfortunately the first day of May did not bring warm weather, it was about ten degrees Celsius and felt even colder. The wind didn't help either, especially considering I had to jump DIRECTLY INTO IT. After warming up I did a set of six runways and I had to move my mark up almost three meters, the wind was so strong. Needless to say they didn't feel overly quick. Nevertheless when I moved up to short approach jumps (eight steps) I managed to jump 12.50m, which I was happy with considering that the wind was probably ~-3.00m/s and I didn't feel overly energetic.

TODAY'S WORKOUT

Warm-up
Runways 2x3 (with a hop on second set)
5 Eight-step triple jumps (farthest ~12.50m)
Weights--
8x2 Jump squats@155lb's
3x5 Straight-legged deadlifts