08.28.08: Beijing in the rear view mirror

With my Beijing experience now in the past by a few days, I have had a chance (including a 10 hour flight to Belgium) to reflect on everything that took place.  I have had a chance to learn from a few mistakes, lick my wounds and take dead aim at the great city of London in exactly 1,456 days…and counting…

Beijing as a city was absolutely amazing; the people went above and beyond everyone's expectations. I kind of feel bad for the organizers of London 2012, they have one hell of an act to follow.  The first thing my parents said as they returned home from Beijing was how shocked they were as to the rudeness of the American people in the airports…I have to remind myself that we Americans aren’t in fact being rude…it's just that those of us who have spent the last few weeks in Beijing have been spoiled by the “niceness epidemic”.  There were actually times that the locals were so unbelievably nice and polite that it almost made me uncomfortable.  For example, there would be times when a group of locals would be sitting at a table or huddled around a TV and as soon as you came in the room, they would all stand up and say hello.  I don’t think there are 10 people who stand up in the States anymore when a lady enters the room (much less anyone else).  I honestly can’t remember a single time when they weren’t smiling or saying “hello” or “is there anything at all I can help you with?”.  Then there was the work ethic…It is no wonder why many of the world's largest companies look to China and Asia in general to produce many of their products.  The Asians are the hardest working people I have ever seen in my life bar none, and they do it all while keeping a positive attitude.  They may work for pennies per hour but they always seem to have a positive outlook on life.  I remember thinking that if I opened a restaurant in the USA and had a full staff of Beijing locals, it would be one of the most successful restaurants in the USA within a matter of months (as long as I didn’t screw it up!)  I realize that I may have not seen the way things really are or the way that Beijing was prior to the 29th Olympiad, but for what myself and almost all of those who visited Beijing saw…I am sold!  Even as I was leaving the Olympic Village and airport, I was bombarded with gifts of every kind from the locals who pleaded and begged “please come back to Beijing… you are welcome back to China!”  I for one, LOVE China and cant wait to go back.  The last meet of the year for me will be in Daegue, Korea on Sept 25 and it will be interesting to compare the 2 cities. I can’t wait to see if the niceness epidemic has spread throughout Asia, or if its progression was halted at the Great Wall.

On to my performance in Beijing: For those who saw the qualifying rounds in the javelin, you saw the weather.  For those of you who didn’t, the qualifying rounds were contested in a monsoon.  I have never seen that much rain fall in that short of time.  As much rain as there was and no matter how long my flight (group 2) was delayed…it didn’t matter.  When I woke up at 4:30am the day of the comp and saw the rain, it actually fired me up because I knew most of the competitors wouldn’t be able to handle the conditions mentally and I actually felt like I had an advantage.  I was the last thrower in the 2nd flight: thrower #48. Last thrower in normal conditions is a great place to be in because you get to watch the performances of everyone else and know exactly how far you have to throw in order to qualify…in normal conditions that is.  But with as long as I had to wait…it didn’t matter, as wet as my javelins were…it didn’t matter.  I was more ready physically and mentally than I have ever been in my life, maybe even too ready.  I wasn’t even nervous…anxious yes, but nervous no.  I have spent endless hours with my team analyzing my performance from every angle: physiologically, mentally, technically and emotionally.  And the result of our analysis was…we wouldn’t have changed a thing.  I have analyzed the film of my throws a few hundred times and it’s the best I have ever looked technically.  My physical preparation was textbook, exactly where we hoped it would be.  I was 100% healthy and 100% ready, mind body and soul. That’s why the results were so hard to comprehend.  There were 90m throwers who couldn’t manage even 70m and 70m throwers who set new lifetime bests.  In an event where the weather is so dependent on the outcome, one can only say “stuff happens”. All that matters is that you can prepare the best you can and leave it all on the track and then you must accept the results and the weather for what they are. Like the quote my coach said to me before I left for the stadium, “it is what it is”.  The entire Olympic Games were filled with upsets and amazing stories.  There were people who weren’t even supposed to make the team that ended up medaling and people who were locks to medal who were eliminated in the qualifying rounds…and the javelin was no exception.  Here is one amazing story that you may not know the inside scoop on.

I had the opportunity to hang out with a friend/rival of mine who many of you know, Breaux Greer.   Breaux was my roommate for several days while in Beijing and for those of you who don’t know his story, here is a quick rundown: Breaux is the greatest American javelin thrower in USA history and won a bronze medal at Worlds last year in Osaka and set a new American Record, which also happens to be the 9th farthest throw in the history of mankind.  Breaux had his 11th major surgery of his career this past winter…yes 11th; most people would hang it up after 1.  After breaking a bone in his throwing hand before the Olympic Trials, and not being able to take any training throws in several months, Breaux showed up at our Olympic Trials and finished 17th.  A far cry from his 90m days of last year, Breaux dealt with an enormous media backlash for him doing some of the things he decided to do throughout the year.  The javelin is a very "what have you done lately" event and Breaux received the full media fury.  Still Breaux was nominated to the Olympic Team and came to Beijing.  Why?  I asked myself the question several times…the answer which we may never truly know, is not ours to worry about and we probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend.  What I saw Breaux go through in Beijing was nothing short of amazing.  He was told by several doctors not to even show up at our trials much less the Olympic Games.  I saw a guy shoot up with pain killers just to take standing throws on the grass…I saw a guy who had everyone in the world telling him no and yet he said yes.  Even the greatest javelin coach in the world (aside from mine) Kari Ihalinen of Finland (Breaux’s coach last year) told Breaux to go home that he would risk career-ending injury if he attempted to throw again.  But those of you who know Breaux, know that he is capable of throwing 80m when he is not even remotely healthy.  So, when I heard Breaux tell my why, it made everything crystal clear, not only about why he chose to come to Beijing, but why he does everything he does in life.  Breaux looked me in the eye and said, “I'm going to give it one shot...one throw...one throw with all that I have, because I don’t want to go back home and watch the Olympics and wonder…what if?” In an event where it only takes 1 throw…this made perfect sense to me.  So, kudos to Breaux for his larger than life attempt at representing himself and his country on the world’s largest stage.  After my last throw in Beijing, Breaux came up to me and said, “remember this feeling and use it.”  Breaux has gone through this 2 times and had the agony of being 1cm short of making the Olympic Team in 1996.  He finished last in Sydney and last in Athens after posting the farthest throw of the Games in qualifying.  He also said “you will grow more from this than anything else you do in life.”  And I truly believe that I have grown more as a person and an athlete more in the last week than I have all of my life.  I have to admit that I didn’t know what to expect from Breaux when I got to Beijing, but it was a great experience that I may never truly know the value of. All I know is, if I am stuck in a foxhole in a war, I want Breaux watching my back.

So now what?  I am now in Belgium, post-Beijing and am now officially an Olympian having competed in the Games.  So where does this leave me?  As strange as this may sound, I believe that the disappointment of Beijing was in fact the best thing that could have happened to me.  If I had qualified for the final or even medaled, I would have walked away from Beijing with a sense of satisfaction, which is extremely dangerous as an athlete.  I swore to myself that I will never feel the way that I felt as I left the runway in Beijing and that very moment which will be etched in my mind forever set the stage for the next four years.  I am more determined and driven now that I have ever been in my life, which I honestly didn’t think was possible.  But knowing what I know now, I believe that the next 4 years will hold many far throws that will culminate in another amazing Olympic experience in London.  The result in London will be irrelevant, it cold be a gold medal or a last place in qualifying, but the journey along the way will be something that I hope I can someday explain in words.  The life lessons that I will learn over the next 4 years will be worth more than any monetary amount that a 9-5 job may offer and the reward at the end of the journey will be indeed priceless.  It looks as if Breaux will be moving to San Diego this fall to join our training group.  Put 2 of the worlds best throwers together to push each other physically and emotionally, couple that with the worlds best coaching, nutrition and sports science…one can only guess the end product in 4 years…London awaits in less than 1,456 days…
Never underestimate the power of ambition.

'Til next time,
Mike++

08.17.08: Five Days Out

Today was the last “intense” training day for me. This morning I had a sprinting workout, which at this stage is more for hormonal increase and release rather than trying to get faster. After the morning sprints session, I had a technical session that included some light ball throws designed to generate arm speed as well as some runway work to solidify my approach. In the previous days, my upper body and arm was moving much better than my legs. My coach said that it looked like I had a Ferrari engine strapped to a bicycle and thus the timing was off. Today it was much better and my legs are finally starting to feel alive. My arm is in the best shape it has ever been in. My coach jokingly was looking for a radar gun over here to check my arm speed. I threw 95pmh from the outfield in college and I’m guessing I would top out around 99-100mph now. The majority of the track and field athletes from the USA who have not made the finals in their respected events are now finished for the most part and the mood around the village is getting more festive. Unfortunately for me I still have a few more days before I can let my hair down! Tomorrow is another rest and recovery day. I plan to do some laundry, check a few hundred emails and maybe catch a nap or 2. See yall on the 18th,
Mike

08.16.08: The Countdown Begins

We are well underway with the track and field portion of the Beijing Olympic Games, and there have been a few upsets and a few stellar performances on the USA team. One of the toughest things to do is to sit back and watch all of your friends with whom you have trained and competed against live out their Olympic dreams. The javelin throw is one of the last events of the games, as it was also last at the USA trials. Due to the lateness of my event, I have had the opportunity to watch many of my friends compete. I had the joy of watching one of my best friends, Hyleas Fountain, have the performance of her life and win the bronze medal in the heptathlon. I have also had to sit and watch some of my other close friends see their dreams fade in the men's shot out and discus throw. It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster. Now that the javelin is the last throwing event to compete, the focus has been placed upon Leigh Smith, Breaux Greer and myself to pick up the slack in the USA medal count.

In my recent blog entries I mentioned that the amount of free time that I have is dwindling every day. I find myself staying up until well after midnight due to many of the things that I need to do during the day. The most difficult thing for me has been the juggling act of doing what I need to do to prepare for my event and also taking time to watch my friends compete and share their Olympic experience. As I have said before, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day and it doesn't seem possible that I have been in China for over 1 1/2 weeks. These games are indeed flying by and I am caught in the middle of the preparation vs. experience dilemma. My training has been great and the biggest focus now is just getting a sense of normalcy. I have competed well in 12 meets year...my program is timed perfect, my health is good and I am approaching lifetime bests in the weight room. As impossible as it may sound, I very well may just have to approach the Olympic Games as just another track meet (with over 1 BILLION people watching). My plan so far when its time to throw...."just push print."

See you on the 08.17.08
Mike

08.14.08 Back to the Chaos

I arrived back into Beijing today, and was quickly reminded of how much busier things are here than at our training camp in Dalian. As I mentioned in my 1st blog entry, there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done! This blog entry is an example as I am running late for another team meeting in about 5 minutes.

Here is what is on schedule for tomorrow...

5:45am wake up
6am depart USA housing facility at athlete village
6:30am depart for Beijing Normal University (USOC headquaters)
7-8am breakfast
8-9am treatment and therapy
9:30-11:30 last throwing session
11:30-12pm treatment and therapy
12-1pm Lunch
1-3pm rest and recovery
3:30-5pm sprinting and jumps training
5-6pm treatment and therapy
6:30-7:30 Dinner
8pm depart Beijing Normal for USA housing facility at athlete village
9pm team meeting
9pm email and blog updates
10pm lights out

I will make an attempt to give everyone an idea of what my daily schedule is leading up to the qualification and final rounds here in Beijing.

Gotta run, catch up with you tomorrow!
Mike

08.13.08: Too Good to Be True…

It would have to be a fairy tale ending to be able to go into the Olympic Games 100% healthy, maybe even too good to be true. And so it is…today was the first set back in my training, although it was a minor one. I have had problems with my low back and pelvis slipping out of alignment causing periodic pain over the past few days. I suppose that's what happens when you're loading 528lbs on your back. As a result I had to modify my training program for the 1st time. However, the modifications that we have made more than likely have more of a mental impact than physical. Basically, as my coach would say, “the hay is in the barn” and all we are doing now is tightening a few screws. Tomorrow I fly back to Beijing in preparation for my last throwing session on the 15th. I will be training at the USA Olympic Committee Headquarters at Beijing Normal University but will be staying in the Village with the rest of the team. I will send updates with what a typical day in the village looks like for me in the next blog. I have to get packing!

Catch you later!
Mike

08.12.08: Rest & Recovery

Today was my 4th day at the USA Track & Field Training Camp here in Dalian, China. Another rest day…when I say rest day, it just means that there wasn’t any sprinting, lifting or throwing. The majority of the day was spent in and out of treatment sessions that focused mainly on my low back and hamstrings, which have been giving me issues since I arrived. I also had a short meeting with our resident sports psychologist, just to go over a few mental preparation techniques and tactics. For most people, the idea of “rest” or “off” days means that one can become a tourist or go sightseeing, well for most athletes in the games it serves a different purpose. Imagine if you can a Formula 1 race car…before a major F1 Grand Prix the driver takes the car out for a test drive on the course…after returning to the team garage, the driver just doesn't park it and not touch it until its time to race...the car is virtually dissected, analyzed and tweaked to the finest detail. Not only to ensure proper future performance but to analyze past miscalculations and potential future problems. That is essentially what most of us here do. After we take the machine out, we bring it back in and make sure its ready for the next test run and eventually the competition… which for me happens to be the Olympic Games. Tomorrow is another heavy day, lots of weighted ball throws and a lifting session in which I hope to tie or set a few new personal bests.

Catch up with you tomorrow,
Mike

08.11.08 Back To Work

Today was the first hard training day since I arrived to Beijing. I had a hard throwing session this morning in the pouring down rain (which you may have seen on TV). I followed this morning’s training session with a sprints and jumping session this afternoon. The rest of the hours in between training were spent resting and recovering and then preparing for the next session. It was a pretty quiet day here at the USA Training Camp other than the practice sessions. We have had a streak of bad weather for 24 hours but it should be clearing by tomorrow. No major news from Beijing other than a few updates on the medal counts and the Chinese have put up an impressive showing so far. The American Track & Field Machine is set to roll in just a few more days…should be one heck of a show!

Catch up with you tomorrow,
Mike ++

08.09.08 The Day After...

Today I arrived at the USA Track & Field training camp in Dalian. It was a very long day, in which many of the athletes who attended the Opening Ceremonies were going on 3-4 hours of sleep. Most of us arrived back to the Olympic Village around 2 A.M. and departed for our training camp around 6 A.M. Our flight wasn't until around 11, but due to heightened security measures were had to depart early. Once we arrived in Dalian, we were shown the full force of the awesome Chinese security. Dalian is a city of almost 6 million people and they closed all the roads leading from the airport to our training camp, some 1/2 hour away. That is just an example of the how well they are taking care of us.

The locals have been awesome, and all of us here are extremely grateful and thankful of all the efforts and collaboration of the Chinese officials with the USA security forces. The mood quickly changed and became more serious once we arrived to the hotel where we were notified of the attacks on the American tourists at the Forbidden City as well as the declaration of war between Georgia and Russia. As far away as some of the problems seem to be, it still hits home and reminds all of us here that the real world is still going on without us and it is up to us to show the world an unbiased competition without prejudice. Tomorrow I finally have a day off. I plan to sleep, unpack, check some emails and catch up with my family, and sleep some more. Catch up with you tomorrow.

Mike++

So Much To Do, So Little Time...

Hello, first let me apologize if this first entry is cut short. There doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done over here that needs to be done. I'm actually catching a plane in 30 minutes for our training camp in Dailan. It's been a whirlwind of a few days and I'm running on about 8 hours of sleep since I arrived. The people of Beijing have been...flawless! They are so excited to be hosting the Olympic Games and their attitudes and personalities certainly reflect that. They have been more than gracious hosts and I have fallen in love with the culture. The village is brand new, as are most of the facilities and there's everything that you would ever need.

Last night I attended the XXIX Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies. I could sit here for hours and not be able to capture the experience in words, so I'll try to wrap it up as...simply amazing, the best day of my life! I had the opportunity not only to meet, but to hang out with George W. Bush and Bush Sr., LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Coack "K" and so many more unbelievable people with awesome stories. After about 9 hours total of standing, sitting and standing some more,  I can now say that my Olympic experience is officially underway. I promise to make the future blogs longer and hopefully with a bit more detail. I have a plane to catch, gotta run!

++Mike

Beijing Bound Jitters... Part 1

...And so it begins.... I'm not quite sure the Pre-Olympic Jitters decided to hit me a 4am Monday morning, maybe its because I leave in exactly 27 hours for "Olympic Team Processing" in San Jose before taking off for Beijing the following morning. Maybe its because I foresee the tons of things that I have to do today before I leave Tuesday morning....funny, I was just telling myself how strange it felt to not have so many things I actually need to do. But as I sit here in bed, typing, my mind wonders to all the small things that need to be tied up before I take off and that task is now seeming to grow larger. Then again, the jitters, nerves, anxiety...whatever you want to call them could also be starting due to the 3rd live radio interview (and 3 TV interviews, 2 newspapers and 2 magazines) in 2 weeks that I'm doing in...5 hours 29minutes, make that 28 minutes. Whatever the reason, the nerves are here, and they are here in full force.
My roommate, 2004 Olympian in the high jump. Tora Harris, has started a you tube account called "flame and rings". The premise of this you tube account is for documenting a few athletes progress as the games get closer. He has an entire room full of HD cameras and hard drives and is truly blessed at making videos and presenting them in a unique, athletic, but unbiased perspective. He started videoing his girlfriend of several years, Shuying Gao, Asian Record Holder in the Pole Vault, who also is part of our training "family" here at the Olympic Training Center. Shuying, or "Sandy" as we call her here, has been living and training here in San Diego for a few years now and has been an awesome in teaching me new Chinese words and customs as I prepare for the games...so has Tora, seeing that he is fluent in Mandarin as well. Anyways, Tora has documented alot of his and Sandy's training (which he has dubbed "Red Vault") and has them posted on his youtube account, his videos can be found at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/lianjuin

Tora happened to be at my last throwing session before I leave for Beijing in...now 26.5 hours, and made a quick video of the brief but very intense session, it can be found om his "flame and rings" account here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CxO5aARRTs&fmt=18

Keep an eye out for his series of videos, "flame and rings" as he will be in Beijing filming Sandy (and me I hope) throughout the Olympic Games...


Well, I suppose I am going to try to go back to sleep... however I can tell you that I will be logging onto the Starbucks website as soon as I sign off from this blog entry to see what time they open, (thats my attempt at humor at 4:35am ;) I have a feeling that these eyes wont get much rest over the next few hours, all though I will make an attempt. Wait a second, what time does Sports Center start on the west coast ;) Beijing Bound Jitters Parts 2, 3, 4, and so one to come soon!

Good talk,
M++